An Elf Like No Other
by Mallik
Summary: Ever play the original Skyrim and use the Alchemy/Fortify Restoration glitch to attain godlike status? Of course you did, don't be ashamed. We ALL did. Follow Elewiese, a young Bosmer maiden who discovers forbidden and world-shattering powers. Destiny demands she be at odds with a family she never knew she had, but will this Dragonborn succeed? Will she want to?
1. Chapter 1

An Elf Like No Other

Hello hello, ladies and gentlemen! I'm back with the main story of my Skyrim play-through, a Bosmer (Wood Elf) named Elewiese. Readers should note that this is both the origin and main quest line for Elewiese and that any other stories of mine on her are associated only by character. If you're like me and you enjoyed playing Skyrim with mods and/or cheats then I think you'll enjoy this. I wanted to see what writing out the alchemy/'Fortify Restoration' glitch from a story perspective would look like. So here you are: an overpowered mer's adventures through the Skyrim tundra with a few OC plot twists and/or powers.

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Chapter 1 - Reborn

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A wood elf's palm chafed as she ground the pestle into the mortar, crushing the dried leaves into dust. She winced at the sting it brought to her hand, but blisters could be tended to after her experiments were concluded. The heat from the flame under the alembic, along with the dirt coating her arms and legs from scouring the forest foliage left an insipidly itchy feeling across her lower back.

The Bosmer maiden swept a stray auburn hair out of her face and filtered the powder through a folded papyrus cone into a vial with purified water. Her slender fingers churned the mixture with a rod and then poured it into the apparatus over the bunsen burner. Her hazel eyes glistened in the light of the fire as she watched the mixture come to a boil, the tubes of the alembic capturing the vapor and cooling it as it spiraled down into a draught. Once the distilling process was complete, she removed the draught from the alembic.

She then used a dropper to place ten dots of the mixture in a series of petri dishes, all containing samples from other solutions that were made ready, all with different properties. The effects of the concoctions in the dishes were either restorative in nature, poisonous, or could even effect one's proficiency with a certain skill. She was about to write off this mixture as a failure until the drop that landed in the last dish made a small sizzle.

The elf raised one of her thin, feminine eyebrows. "Fortify restoration?" She muttered to herself. Not overly useful, but if she ever got seriously hurt it would give her simple understanding of the healing arts a little help. Confident in the mixture's effect, all that was left was to test its effectiveness. Being a little rusty on even her most novice Healing spell, she retrieved the spell tome from a nearby bookshelf. She began flipping through the pages, eyes following along the diagrams, all the while she absentmindedly tipped her head back and downed the new mixture.

Almost immediately, she doubled over in pain, the draught and tome tumbling out of her lap and onto the floor. Oddly enough it wasn't her throat or stomach that was burning and felt sickly as they normally did when she accidentally drank a newly discovered poison, but rather it felt like her head was going to explode. The pain was beyond anything she'd ever felt. She reached for the vial of poison curative that she always kept within arms reach of the alchemy table, all the while wondering how in the world she had miscalculated the mixture's properties so entirely.

 _Did I mislabel my mixtures?_ , a coherent portion of her mind asked. Her hands fumbled with the cork of the curative when suddenly the pain faded just as quickly as it had come. Having ceased spasming, she took a moment to catch her breath, placing a hand on her still throbbing head. "What was _that_?" She asked no one in particular.

The pounding in her head subsided, but as the girl lowered her hand, another strange sensation grew more and more insistent; a ringing sound in her ear. It was a sensation she'd experienced very few times in her life after hearing a loud noise or if someone shouted right next to her ear, but instead of fading away, it only got louder. Oddly enough as she swiveled her head around in an attempt to shake off the ringing, she realized it seemed to be emanating from an item on the lowest shelf on the corner of the alchemy table.

The girl picked up her mother's ring with a sweaty and shaking hand. It was a simple trinket of intricately twisted silver that contained knowledge of alchemy. She always took it off when experimenting; there was no need to make a mystery poison any more potent than absolutely necessary. As the ring slipped into her palm the ringing intensified.

The Bosmer shook her head in disbelief. _What is going on?_ The ring had never before exhibited any property other than increasing the potency of alchemical concoctions, and yet here the ring sat…seemingly calling to her, begging her to put it on.

With a trembling hand, she slipped the ring onto her finger. Looking back on it, she couldn't believe how stupid she was to listen to this unknown, primeval, hypnotic force within the ring, or the mixture, or whatever it was causing her to quickly lose her mind. As anyone else might've expected, and as the ring settled at the base of her finger, the noise grew exponentially. She wasn't certain when exactly she fell to the floor to lie in the fetal position, but the horrible shriek stabbing through her head intensified to the the point that she couldn't even hear her own screams of agony over it.

And then, just when she'd resigned herself to a slow and agonizing death, the noise died faster than a snap of the fingers. The girl spent a moment on the floor, too stunned to do anything other than breath. But as she regained her awareness and began thinking, an awed gasp replaced her shaky breathing.

Instead of wondering what just happened, the girl found herself thinking of anything else, everything else. And not just thinking about these things, but she understood them too. Whatever popped into her head. All of it. Knowledge flowed through her mind faster than she could process it. Tears welled up in her eyes as the elf curiously browsed the shelves of ingredients and concoctions, suddenly having a profound, all-knowing, in-depth understanding of each and every item on the shelves. Some she'd never even known. Her hands began moving on their own, almost in a possessed fashion, and began clearing the alchemy table to start anew.

She didn't even have to think about what her hands were doing. Instead, her thoughts turned to other things, like the spellbooks on the shelf, or her mother's bow on the wall and her lack of inherent Bosmer skill with it, or the lockbox with a modest collection of coins in it on her bedside table. The more issues the elf grew aware of, the more she realized there was a solution for every one of her problems. She glanced at her hand and realized the ring was still emanating the shrill, hollow ringing albeit muted now. _Where is this knowledge coming from?_

She shook her head. _Forget everything else. Just work before it goes away. If it goes away…_ The elf cast all other thoughts aside and worked for hours, maybe days, on the 'solutions' to her problems.

* * *

6 Years Later

To be completely honest, Elewiese wanted to die. As she regained consciousness in the back of the bumbling cart, the Bosmer made no effort to subvert her fate. She registered that her captors were Imperial soldiers and vaguely listened to the men she shared the cart with.

The man in front of Elewiese addressed her and and seemed apologetic as he reminded her how she got into this mess, wandering into some kind of an ambush. She remembered having been out scouring for ingredients in the Jerall Mountain region, likely going so far as to pass the border into Skyrim, when she blundered into a campsite, from which she recognized two of the men in her cart. Before she could even react to them, some twerp initiate Imperial soldier clobbered her over the head with a shield bash. She saw the blow coming, could've even countered, but why? What would be the point?

The man in front of her muttered some nonsense about the 'true High King', which seemed to panic the man next to him. He inquired about their fate to which the first man replied. "I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits."

Sovngarde? The honored Nordic land of the dead? These soldiers meant to kill us? Oddly enough, the thought brought a flicker of hope to the elf's heart. Elewiese was so tired. Everything she'd accomplished, everything she'd built; it all seemed dwarfed by the insurmountability of her enemy. What hope did her small acts of rebellion have when a nation couldn't defeat them.

Speaking of the which, the elf's tired eyes flickered with fire as the man in front of her noted the presence of the Thalmor, speaking to some general named Tullius. The idea that the Thalmor would be involved in her death, while unsurprising, left a sour taste in Elewiese's mouth. Whatever the case, she just wanted it to be over.

The elf continued to listen to the man in front of her ramble as men who are at peace and about to die do. Mostly though, she admired her surroundings. _So this is Skyrim?_ She'd heard it described, read volumes on the bountiful beauty of the the land, but those words did it little justice. It was a breathtaking land albeit, as truth would have it, cold. Their cart rolled through what the talkative man called Helgen, it's villagers coming to gawk at the prisoners.

The cart hit a bump, jarring her weary body. The jolt made her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten for days, although that wasn't too uncommon when she went out to gather ingredients. She had no desire save for dying, however the lack of energy hunger provided left her profoundly weak.

When the cart came to a stop. The talkative Nord seemed pleased, even remarked they shouldn't keep the gods waiting. The elf grasped her necklace that contained the charms of eight of the nine divines and nodded lightly, though she wasn't sure if he saw. She wondered absentmindedly if the dead were greeted by the divines, as some cultures believed. The chance to meet the mighty Talos and mother Mara excited her, at least mentally.

Everyone stood and began stepping off the cart. Elewiese tried too, but found herself too weak. Her carriage companion hooked a strong arm under hers and gently lifted her up. They shimmied down the steps, only lightly tripping. He muttered how the Empire loved their damn lists when men with quills and parchment began calling off names. She was all too familiar with their affinity for protocol.

"Ralof of Riverwood." The man looked up when his name was called. He looked to the Bosmer who nodded her thanks, then returned to his High King's side.

The horse thief's name was called, despite his denial of being party to these Stormcloaks. In a fit a of panic, he ran, only to be skewered by arrows at the order of the disgruntled captain.

"You there, step forward." The man with the list said. She did her best not to fall on her face as she approached. The exertion of keeping vertical was proving difficult. "Who are you?"

Here it was; her last chance. She could tell them. Even if they didn't believe her, they would have to stay her execution until they could confirm it. _Just say it,_ the last shred of her dignity and self-preservation pleaded in her mind. _The Lady of the Elixirs._ "El-… Elewiese…" Her eyes were heavy and her throat was dry.

"Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list." The young Nord eyed her with pity. The elf's frame was thin, malnourishedly so. Dark circles lay under eyes covered by her disheveled auburn hair.

"Forget the list. She goes to the block." The captain spoke without sympathy or even a hint of forethought. Bitch.

"By your orders Captain." The Nord winced and looked apologetically to the elf. "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Valenwood."

Interesting. Elewiese wondered if her mother would even be lucid enough to understand that she was dead. Would she even care? Would she be thrown into one of her fits? Her heart felt heavy thinking about it, so she stopped. The idea of how much trouble her execution would cause within the Empire, however, amused her greatly. The Empire would likely behead any and all involved in her death. Hopefully they'll start with that bitch captain.

The Bosmer turned and made it two steps before stumbling. The captain snorted with indifference. The Nord soldier handed his list to an attendant and knelt to pick her up. Together he helped her to hobble to the line awaiting execution. He found an open spot in the courtyard and eased the elf onto the ground, gently. He thought he saw a glimmer of appreciation in her eyes before he returned to his post.

Elewiese internally remarked at how the two men who had shown her equal measures of kindness in the past few minutes belonged to such opposing factions. Peripherally she saw the General, Tulius, approach the man she'd ridden next to on the cart, the so called 'true High King'.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero," the General said with clear disdain. "But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." The leader of the rebellion could only growl muffled complaints in response. "You started this war," the General accused. "Plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace."

 _Fools,_ Elewiese thought to herself. _Neither the Empire nor this false king can see past their own ambition, toward their true enemy. For all my knowledge, for all my skills, I cannot overcome the will of a nation._ She closed her eyes and heard only the birds singing and the wind rustling the trees. _I have no power. I have no voice._

A sound rolled across the sky in same manner that thunder does, only there was no rain. It was a roar that seemed to ripple beyond a veil of air, but its effect hit home. Elewiese began convulsing on the ground, groaning in pain. The blood in her veins sizzled as if it were oil, and the roar in the sky had been a flame to ignite it. Soldiers and prisoners alike looked from the sky, to her. None too quickly, the roar died, and Elewiese found she could breath again. The soldier who had helped her voiced his thoughts. "What was that? Did she do that?"

General Tullius looked to the elf warily and snapped his fingers to the Captain in Elewiese's direction. "Carry on."

The captain shoved a soldier towards the Bosmer, telling him to keep an eye on her. "Yes, General Tullius! Give them their last rights." She said to the priestess.

Elewiese barely heard the priestess commend their souls to Aetherius and bless them by the eight divines. In recent years, it'd become more and more common to hear of the Eight, not the Nine; but it still perplexed her to hear. The pompous high elves of the Thalmor knew as well as she Talos was indeed a mortal who ascended to godhood. Their campaign to smear his divinity was merely a ploy to weaken the god of mankind, all because he subjugated them as a mortal several hundred years ago.

That was hardly of concern though. The majority of Elewiese's concentration was trying to figure out what in Oblivion just happened. A roar…that churned her blood… Surely Hircine wouldn't interfere. Yeah, he was sweet on her, but he made it clear he would not prevent her death.

One of the Stormcloaks, arguably more eager for death than even Elewiese, interrupted the priestess. She watched with mute fascination as the fool goaded their captors up until the last moment when the axe fell. The ginger man's head fell into the waiting basket. The smell of blood sent another wave of hunger rolling through Elewiese's stomach, but she abstained from any action.

"As fearless in death as he was in life," Ralof said sadly.

Again, a roar ripped through the sky, louder this time. Elewiese could not contain the scream of agony this time. She shuddered, the feeling consuming her once more. Everyone looked at her horrified. Sweat matted her skin & hair, and mud smeared on her ragged clothes as she writhed in the dirt. Finally, it stopped. She slumped and breathed shakily.

"There it is again." The soldier scanned the horizon. "Did you hear that?"

The captain glared and drew her sword, pointing it at Elewiese. "The wood elf is casting some kind of spell! She's next on the block."

"Captain, I don't think she-"

"I said next prisoner." She said sternly. Gods, what a bitch.

The nice soldier sighed. "To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy." He helped her from the ground and practically carried her to the headsman's stump. Elewiese's head was placed on the block. She saw through the strands of her auburn hair that stuck to her face and looked up at the cowl of her executioner. Time slowed to a crawl as he lifted his bloody axe. The elf, pained and hurting, let out one final, labored breath and waited to die.

Then her destiny began.

Elewiese watched the headsman's shoulders tense as he was about to bring down the axe, but something else caught her eye. She wasn't the only one. A flurry of questions erupted behind her until a enormous black mass landed on the tower behind the headsman, knocking him off balance. "Dragon!" One of the prisoners exclaimed.

The beast regarded them all with eyes like burning coals. Wicked pointed thorns ran along its body. The dragon's wings were so large and so black, they made it seem as though part of the sky had turned to night. It was sleek, deadly, and powerful. Elewiese swore his eyes lingered a bit longer on her, even that the corners of its maw lifted in humor. The soldiers all drew their weapons, and not a moment later the dragon let loose a terrible roar, but it wasn't a roar per se. It was more enunciated, like it was shouting at them.

A blast of a air nocked into the crowd blowing several of them off their feet. Being so close, Elewiese felt the full force of the blast, but instead of being knocked back by it, it passed through her and vibrated through every corner of her body.

All hell broke loose. The dragon shouted again using different words this time. Molten rock began raining from the sky, smashing into houses and battlements. General Tullius called for the guards to rally and to get the townspeople to safety. The prisoners and villagers alike rabbited in all directions. Elewiese hardly paid attention though. From the first roar that had made her blood boil to that blast of force when the dragon shouted at her, she could almost hear echoes of the noises the dragon made. They seemed to be words from a language she couldn't quite put her finger on. It shouldn't have surprised her. Tamrielic was the only language she knew, but she couldn't help but feel there was another language she should know. One that made her blood tingle with sensation when the dragon spoke.

In any case, it was chaos. Elewiese was finally roused from her stupor when her fellow prisoner yanked her from the ground. "Hey, get up!" Ralof yelled. "Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!"

She was pretty sure the gods weren't the cause of this. Anyone would have been fueled by adrenaline in this situation, but the stirring inside Elewiese was something more. She couldn't even feel the pangs of hunger or the scrapes on her knees and palms. A soldier was struck by a meteor to their left as they ran for a stone tower.

As soon as Elewiese was in, the door was shut behind her. A couple of the stormcloaks were bleeding out on the floor and tending their wounds. The rest were glued to the windows trying to catch a glimpse of the beast as it soared overhead. "Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asked his king.

The rebel leader had done away with the gag in his mouth. To his credit, he maintained a calm demeanor, but Elewiese could sense the panic in his voice. "Legends don't burn down villages. We need to move, now!"

The elf looked around and noticed the stairs leading up in the tower. While altitude wasn't entirely desirable with a dragon running amuck, they would be able to scan their surroundings for a safe place. She tapped Ralof on the shoulder and pointed up. He smiled, despite the situation, and nodded. "Up through the tower, let's go!"

She clambered up the steps. A rebel was hunched over examining the rubble that blocked way to the highest floor of the tower. "We just need to move some of these rocks-" The wall next to him exploded, stones crushing him as they fell. The snout of the dragon appeared. Elewiese fell back, startled, but was caught by Ralof. They felt a rush of air as the beast inhaled, readying to let out his awful voice again. " _YOL…TOR…SHUL!_ " Ralof held Elewiese against the wall, the torrent of flames rushing past them and flowing up the tower. Then the dragon was gone, off to wreak havoc elsewhere.

Ralof and Elewiese both exhaled in relief before peaking out the new hole in the wall, surveying the situation. Just across the way was a thatched building, a tavern maybe, with a collapsed roof. They could make it. "See the inn on the other side?" Ralof put a steadying hand on her back. "Jump through the roof and keep going." She looked at him worriedly. "Go! We'll follow when we can!" She nodded as he turned to head back down the stairs, and backed up a few feet before leaping out the hole.

Elewiese's senses were on hyper alert. As she soared through the air she peripherally witnessed the dragon swoop down to snatch an archer off the parapets. She landed with a roll and continued forward, sliding as she came upon a hole leading down to ground level. The smoke made her cough. She leapt through an open doorway to find the Nord soldier from before protecting a small group of villagers. "Haming, you need to get over here! Now!"

A boy ran from a wounded man's side and into the soldiers arms just as the dragon landed. "Torolf!" In an instant, the dragon let loose another bout of flame, reducing the wounded man to ash. "Gods…everyone get back!"

Elewiese absentmindedly rolled those words over and over in her head. Yol Tor Shul. Yol Tor Shul. She had heard that before…hadn't she? The soldier interrupted her trail of thought. "Still alive prisoner? Stick close to me if you want to stay that way!" Elewiese knew it was her best shot for survival, so she nodded. The soldier turned to a villager. "Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join their defense."

Gunnar placed his hands on Haming's shoulders and saluted him. "Gods guide you, Hadvar."

Hadvar quickly glanced around before turning to the Bosmer. "With me prisoner, let's go!" They ran towards the ruined battlements and dropped off a small ledge. The hair on Eleweise's neck stood up and she pushed him against the wall. Hadvar reached for his sword, thinking she was trying to get the drop on him when the dragon landed directly above them. She pressed her body against him and the wall as the beast roasted another victim. It took flight once more, and the elf backed away from the soldier. His mouth hung open a moment before he corrected himself. He nodded his thanks and gestured for her to stick close. Elewiese smiled and obeyed.

They passed the charred corpse of a soldier and moved through a ruined house, coming upon a contingent of soldiers attempting to rally under the orders of the general. Tullius noticed the two of them emerge. "Hadvar! Into the keep soldier, we're leaving!"

He continued leading her along. "It's you and me prisoner, come on." Imperial mages cast firebolts at the hulking mass in the sky. What few strikes hit seemed to have no effect. They ran, exertion getting to the both of them (mostly Hadvar), until they came face to face with Ralof. He had made it out of that tower after all and had managed to arm himself.

Hadvar glared at the rebel. "Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!"

Ralof seemed to hold just as much animosity for the soldier. "We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time."

Hadvar growled in frustration and simply ignored him, instead running for a side entrance to the keep. Ralof began running towards the keep's main entrance, but the dragon flew overhead and knocked his tail into the tower. Rubble rained down blocking the door. Elewiese ran over and tugged Ralof in the direction Hadvar had gone. He seemed reluctant, but followed nonetheless.

Elewiese pushed Ralof through the door and glanced once more behind her. The dragon had just landed on the adjacent tower. She could've sworn he looked down directly at her. A rumble rolled through the air, as though the dragon was laughing, and clear as day she heard him speak. " _Hin sil fen nahkip bahloki._ " Strangely, Elewiese was equal parts terrified and enraged as she entered the keep.

She closed and latched the fort door behind her, but stopped when she turned. Havdar and Ralof were circling each other predatorily. She quickly ran between them. "Hey!" They both stopped, surprised. It was the first time the elf had spoken since she had dejectedly muttered her name. Her voice was light and sing-songy, but with a foreign accent. "In case you both hadn't noticed, a dragon is attacking, so how about we stow the petty political squabbles for now. Okay?"

They both sighed and sheathed their blades. "Let's just find a way out of here." Ralof muttered.

Hadvar retrieved a knife from his boot and approached the elf. "Here, let me see if I can get those bindings off you." Elewiese didn't really feel like telling him she could have ripped through them without much effort, so she let him cut them. They were in an barracks of sorts, beds and personal effects lining the walls. "See if one of these chests has some armor for you." Hadvar recommended.

Elewiese went through one and found an old set of leather armor, some greaves, and an iron sword. She held it up and looked to the two men who waited watching her. She glared and cleared her throat. They both blushed and turned to give her privacy. The elf quickly changed, the Nords listening as her tattered rags fell to the floor. They both swallowed hard as they looked to each other, the awkwardness killing them. "Well, how do I look?"

They both turned and gawked. She twirled to give the full picture. Even in such rough armor and with her skin dirtied & hair disheveled, she was a radiant creature. "Great." They both said. She smiled.

A roar made the walls shudder. "We should leave, now." She stated. Hadvar pulled a chain which opened a portcullis on the far side of the room. They made their way through the atrium of the keep and began descending some stairs. Elewiese was worried about running into other soldiers, given Hadvar's reaction to Ralof. Luckily, the keep seemed deserted, it's occupants either dead from the dragon attack or already having escaped. Hadvar rounded a corner and the other two followed. The tunnel shook violently and the forward path caved in.

"Damn," Ralof coughed through the dust. "That dragon doesn't give up easy."

There was a side passage that was open. "Could it really have been a dragon, the bringers of the end times?" Hadvar asked.

"I don't know Hadvar, but I don't think we should stick around to find out." Ralof replied.

They moved through a storage room. Hadvar mentioned that the Imperials kept potions stored in there. Her interest piqued, Elewiese searched through the nearby containers but scoffed at she found. "What is it?" He asked.

The elf held up a basic healing potion. "We might as well lick our wounds. That's about all these can do." She stuffed them in her pack regardless.

"I take it you know a little about alchemy."

"Just a few tricks." She lied.

"Done then?" Ralof stood at the far door. He opened it and peaked out. "Come on, this way."

They began descending more stairs, coming to a room lined with cages. "The torture room. Gods, I wish we didn't need these…" Hadvar muttered.

"You don't." Ralof growled.

"Please Ralof, you can be damn sure the Stormcloaks are no better." He looked like he wanted to argue with Hadvar but stayed his tongue. Maybe he knew he was right.

The rebel eyed the middle of three cages on the far wall. Hadvar searched the jailers corner for equipment. A book on a round table in the middle of the room caught the elf's eyes. "The book of the Dragonborn…" She whispered to herself. She flipped through pages, remembering the legends the more she read. Mortal beings blessed with the blood of dragons; the blood of the one divine being she couldn't stand.

Elewiese's grip on the book tightened, thinking of Akatosh. She skipped ahead and pondered for a moment on the Prophecy of the Dragonborn. The last section really struck her for some reason…

 _When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding, the World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn._

The World-Eater…

The Last Dragonborn…

"Damn!" Elewiese looked over to see Ralof bang on the locked cage he was trying to open. She rolled her eyes and stowed the book in her pack. She grabbed a lockpick off the table and went over to him. She worked on it for barely a second until the lock fell to the ground and the door swung open. She grinned broadly and leaned casually against the cage. Ralof grunted in humor and gestured for her to help herself. Elewiese stripped the mage's body of his belongings and clapped her hands together, ready to continue.

Hadvar lead them through the dungeon that seemed to connect to an old cave system. They came into a large room with a stream running through it. On the far end was another tunnel that seemed to dead end into a wooden wall. "There." Ralof pointed to the lever on the right. Elewiese pulled it and the wooden wall swung down to become a bridge. Interesting.

Not a second after they'd crossed, a cascade of rubble took out the bridge. Hadvar pushed Ralof forward and had to roll to avoid being crushed. Elewiese helped pick up one Nord and moved to check on the other as they all dusted themselves off. "Thanks…Hadvar…" Ralof said begrudgingly. "I owe you one."

Hadvar looked up from the elf who was kindly tending to a scrape he'd received on his arm. "Let's just call it even. I still owe you for covering for me the time I snuck out past my uncle's curfew." That earned a laugh from the both of them.

Elewiese finished wrapping Hadvar's scrape with a clean cloth and chuckled along with them. "So, I take it you two are acquainted?"

Their laughs died quickly. Ralof scratched the back of his head. "We just grew up together."

"Where at?"

"Town, not too far from here." He looked to Hadvar. "You reckon we should head home?"

The other Nord nodded. "Aye. We can't very well wander around the countryside as tattered as we are. I'm sure my uncle will be willing to help us."

Ralof nodded. "My sister too. We'll need a place to clean up and restock before heading out."

Hadvar glared at him. "You don't seriously think I'm gonna let you get away."

"I told you Hadvar, you won't stop me."

The Nords glared at each other before they heard Elewiese clear her throat again. She had a scolding look on her face and her hands were on her hips. The men turned their noses up at each other and began walking again. The elf followed.

They came upon a large cavern with webbing across the walls. Bodies and rodents were strung up all over. The trio stepped warily through the space. Movement caught Eleweise's eye, and in an instant she'd sent a firebolt up and through the silken string a massive arachnid was descending on. The spider smashed face first into the ground. Elewiese drove her sword through its body before it could recover. Four or five more giant spiders emerged but were no match for the seasoned Nord warriors.

The wood elf leapt onto the last one, severing it's head completely in one strike before somersaulting off it. She wiped the sweaty grime off her forehead but stopped when she saw the two men gawking at her again. She smiled and hummed, pleased with herself as she pushed forward through the cave. Ralof recovered and lightly elbowed Hadvar out of his stupor. They caught up quickly.

They journeyed along the twisting cavern and came upon a huge mass of fur lying atop a pile of old bones. "Hold up." Hadvar whispered. "Looks like there's a bear just up ahead. I'd rather not tangle with her right now."

Elewiese thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. They looked to her questioningly. "I'll keep its attention. I'm a Bosmer so I should be able to keep it calm for a short while. When it's focused on me, you two sneak past." They both looked at her worriedly to which she rolled her eyes and pushed them along.

As Elewiese tentatively approached the great bear, her two Nord companions crouched low and began inching their way past. The bear twitched and grunted, noise rousing it from its slumber. It looked up with furrowed brows at the approaching elf. Elleweise held up her hands in peace. She could feel the annoyance of the bear. The only thing stopping it from advancing on her was the shear will of her Bosmer nature (Command Animal). "Hey there, old girl." She whispered cautiously. "Don't mind us. Me and my friends are just gonna get out of your way, okay?" She inched closer to her, even going so far as to place a hand on her snout. The old grizzly seemed to roll her eyes, much to the elf's amusement, before setting her head back down and returning to sleep. "Thank you." Elewiese whispered before departing after her companions.

As she exited the mouth of the cave, Ralof chuckled. "Shor's bones! I'm sure glad you're a wood elf. That bear looked like more than we could handle-"

A shadow passed over them and Hadvar grabbed both their arms, forcing them to crouch. "Wait!" A roar above them drew their eyes to the dragon flying north. Elewiese got one final look at the beast, a myriad of emotions twisting in her gut like a hot knife. It could be she was just frightened of it, right? "Looks like he's gone for good this time," Hadvar laughed dryly. "But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back."

Ralof nodded. "So, to Riverwood?"

"Aye." Hadvar agreed before looking to Elewiese. "And you, lady elf?" She giggled at his attempt at chivalry. Ralof glared. "Will you be joining us?"

"Only if it isn't too much trouble." She ventured.

Ralof cut in. "You'll be welcome, of course. Shall I lead the way?"

Hadvar looked as though he were about to elbow Ralof but Elewiese spoke again. "Actually I'll meet you two in town. I'm going to hunt for a bit, clear my head." She had a far away look in her eyes, so neither Nord argued. She glared as she returned her attention to the two of them. The elf put one hand on her hip and pointed scoldingly at the two of them. "If you two kill each other before I get to town, I'll never forgive you."

They both backed away and held up their hands in innocence. She smiled and stood on her tippy toes, kissing the both of them on the cheek. "Thank you, both of you. You saved my life." They both blushed and twiddled their thumbs sheepishly. Elewiese jogged off into the brush. "I'll meet you before nightfall!" She shouted, and then she was gone.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon with the sun low in the sky. Just outside the small hamlet of Riverwood, a hare bound around a clearing, foraging for something to eat. A twig snapped, and the rabbit lifted up onto its hind legs, ears perked and listening for danger. After a few moment of silence, the hare returned to eating, only to be set upon by a large, furry creature. It struggled for a moment before the creature closed its maw around the rabbit's neck, ending its life quickly and with mercy.

The creature had set upon the rabbit's body, devouring the heart and moving on towards its fleshy haunches when the brush rustled behind the creature. Looking behind itself, the creature found a fox. It shared many of the same features as the creature; red fur, pointed ears, long bushy tail. The fox eyed the corpse of the rabbit, disappointed.

"My apologies," the creature spoke in a feminine voice, drawing the fox's attention. "But first come, first served." The creature giggled before returning to its meal. The fox turned away to find something else to hunt for.


	2. Chapter 2

An Elf Like No Other

To my fondest Lads and Gents: I will remind you that I will be posting these chapters in batches most likely, purely for the continuity of the story. So if it's been a minute on your favorite story, more are coming (arguably more than you were hoping for).

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Chapter 2 - Lady of the Elixirs

* * *

Elewiese adjusted the iron breastplate over the novice robes she'd salvaged from the dead mage in the cell at Helgen. She wore the same leather boots and vambraces from the fort as well. Having secured the satchel at her waist and lifting her hood, she stood from the bed and descended the stairs.

The bard, Mikael was nursing the black eye Elewiese had given him last night for being such a lecherous creep to the sweet market woman, Carlotta. He averted his gaze when he saw the elf, making her smirk. She approached Hulda and tipped the innkeep an extra gold coin for services rendered. She smiled and thanked Elewiese who exited the Bannered Mare, stretching in the morning sunshine.

Hadvar's uncle Alvor and Ralof's sister Gerdur, while loathing to even sit down with each other, agreed that the security of Riverwood was at stake with a dragon flying about. They both begged her to make for Whiterun to inform the hold's jarl of the imminent threat in exchange for their hospitality. While out hunting earlier, Elewiese had already decided that she wanted to know more about the dragon that had appeared. More specifically, she wanted to know why it had the effect it did on her, and seemingly her alone. However, she wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. She lacked immediate finances and an inkling of who would know anything about the dragons. This quest was as good an opportunity as any to find assistance.

After making her way to the exterior of Whiterun and impressing a local 'Companion' by jumping on the back of a wayward giant attacking a homestead, Elewiese managed to talk her way into the city and into the jarls keep. Jarl Balgruuf seemed an honorable man to her, and listened to what she had to say. Recognizing the danger, he sent additional guards to Riverwood, then asked for her assistance with his court wizard. That's where things got interesting.

It seemed that the court wizard, Farengar, was attempting to discern the pattern of apparent dragon sightings using information from an ancient Dragonstone that detailed dragon burial sites across Skyrim. Elewiese didn't care much for his attitude, as most of her interactions with mages went, but she seemed to grow on him when he realized she wasn't merely a brute mercenary the jarl was hiring. She was actually interested in his inquiry of draconology, and made keenly astute observations of his notes. Elewiese informed both the jarl and the mage that she would make for Bleak Falls Barrow in the morning. Jarl Balgruuf recommended staying in the city's finest inn, the Bannered Mare.

And so, after a restful night at the inn, there Elewiese stood. The city's marketplace was already buzzing with traders and shoppers. One shop in particular had caught her interest last night, but she decided to wait until morning to approach the owner. She moved towards the shop, pushing her way through the wooden doors and smiled at the sight before her. The familiar scene of ingredients and potions lining shelves made her sigh in relief. You might say being in an apothecary shop was like being in her element. Other wood elves couldn't stay away from the forest. Elewiese couldn't stay away from alchemy.

"Good morning!" A woman behind the counter greeted her. Imperial, judging by her slender build and Cyrodilic accent. "New faces are common enough in Whiterun. I'm Arcadia. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance."

Elewiese smiled at the woman and approached the counter. "Thank you, that is very kind." She set her satchel on the counter and began appraising the ingredients she'd accumulated. Arcadia was impressed, both by the variety and organization she saw in the satchel's collection. "Do you have any Canis Root and Blisterwort?"

The shopkeep smiled. "Indeed we do. Always nice to run into another alchemist. A stamina poison would help against the local wildlife. You're smart."

Elewiese raised an eyebrow, before realizing what she's asked for. "Ah, no they are ingredients for separate potions, not a poison."

"Oh?" Arcadia was intrigued now.

Elewiese paid for the ingredients and nodded towards the alchemy table on the far side of the room. "You mind?"

"Not at all. Please do clean up after yourself though."

Elewiese moved towards the table and reached into her pocket. She placed her mother's ring on her finger. At her skill level, it served no purpose other than a sort of sentimentality, but Elewiese always wore it regardless. "So, are you a healer?" She asked making idle conversation with the human.

Arcadia laughed. "Of a sort. Nothing as formal as Restoration training, but if I had a septim for every case of Rockjoint or Witbane I've cured within these walls…"

The elf continued working, creating several mixtures at lightning speed. "You're from Cyrodil."

Arcadia nodded. "Imperial citizen and damn proud of it."

"Ever think of returning home?"

The shopkeep turned indignant. "Why? Because of the Stormcloaks? Ulfric can rot in Oblivion for all I care. This place is my home. I've lived here for twenty years. Twenty!"

Elewiese looked over. "It was not my intention to offend, only to make conversation."

Arcadia looked apologetic. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my patriotic nature get to me. I apologize."

Elewiese corked a draught with a glowing red liquid, then sterilized the work station to begin creating the next mixture. "I only meant to ask if you'd heard of the Lady of the Elixirs."

Arcadia's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. "Are you kidding? I don't think anyone could rightly call themselves an alchemist and not know of the Lady. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, if that's what you meant."

"Mmm…" Elewiese smiled and continued working until she was finished. Arcadia had not been paying attention to what the elf had been mixing but noted the four new bottles she held. Three of the four mixtures glowed blue, green, and red respectively. She brought her last concoction, one a flat golden yellow color, over to the counter where Arcadia leaned in, interested.

"And what have we here?"

"First, I'd like to purchase one more thing…maybe…"

Arcadia held up a hand sternly. "All sales are final." Elewiese said nothing, her mouth twitching in humor, and pointed to a potion with a familiar emblem on the top shelf. "Ah, you have a good eye. That's a Lady of the Elixirs exclusive. She's made many of her advancements in alchemy public knowledge, but she's kept a few to herself. Many have tried cracking their code, to no avail." It took every last septim Elewiese had, and some tricky bartering of looted items, but Arcadia agreed on the exchange. The bottle was ornately sculpted red glass with a ribbon tied around it. Holding it together was a wax seal with the likeness of feminine hands cupping a rosebud.

Once the potion was hers, Elewiese reached into her satchel and brought out a sterile eyedropper. With Arcadia watching, she took a drop of the potion she'd purchased and deposited it on the counter. "Hey! What do you think you're-" The elf held up a hand and asked her to watch. Elewiese then filled a second dropper with the last mixture she'd made at the alchemy station and placed it on the drop of the potion on the counter. A sizzle was heard, and a small blue light burst before disappearing.

Arcadia drew closer, stunned. "A neutral reaction? But only the Lady of the Elixirs knows how to make- Only she could possibly…" Her eyes grew wide as realization dawned on her. "Kynareth preserve us." She gazed into the hazel eyes of the elf who merely smiled at her. She rounded the counter and took her hands into her own and shook vigorously. "My Lady! It is my utmost honor to have you in my shop!"

Elewiese giggled slightly. "Please, the honor is mine. I'm happy to hear I've accumulated such an influence, even all the way here to Skyrim."

Arcadia was still shaking her hands. "It's only natural!" The Imperial placed a hand on her head, feeling feint. "By the gods! The Lady of the Elixirs!" Elewiese allowed her a moment to collect herself. "Well, is there anything else I can do for you my Lady? I trust you wouldn't reveal your identity to me without a reason."

"You are correct, Arcadia. I have something of an entrepreneurial proposition for you." The elf ventured. Arcadia nodded emphatically. "As I will be staying in Skyrim for the foreseeable future, I believe it would be wise to extend my network of apothecaries. I plan on visiting alchemists all over the province in an effort to connect you all to eachothers' stock and knowledge. I will then network you with the apothecaries I partner with in Cyrodil. Understand?"

Arcadia was intrigued. "And what would this partnership entail?"

"I will invest in you & your shops and teach you how to make the majority of my publicly known concoctions. I will also fill specific orders you ask of me while in town. In exchange, I will ask you to stock & hold specific ingredients for my personal use and make minimal returns only on mixtures I make & the mixtures I teach you to make." Elewiese finished and took a deep breath.

The Imperial was stunned. The deal was very clearly weighted in Arcadia's favor. "I-I don't know…this is all so much." She startled slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Elewiese smiled kindly which seemed to ease the alchemist. "I have business outside the city but am returning late this afternoon. Will you have an answer by then?"

Arcadia nodded. "Yes, I should." That was more than enough time to be honest, but the human let the elf go without another word, pondering the possibilities to herself.

Elewiese was confident that Arcadia would come around, and that gave her hope for the other alchemists around Skyrim. Having brewed her three most secretive elixirs, and therefore once again making her quite possibly the most powerful mortal on Nirn, the elf confidently strolled out of the city and up the road back towards Riverwood. Once she'd passed the Honningbrew Meadery, she glanced East at the fork in the road. Elewiese recalled a guard in Whiterun mentioning the group of bandits that were held up in a cave not too far away and decided she could wipe them out after retrieving the Dragonstone.

She shivered violently while hiking up the mountain. "Dammit." Elewiese muttered to herself. Skyrim was beautiful, but as someone who grew up in the tropical heat of Valenwood's rain forests, the region's blistering cold was unbearable. She balled her fists in the long sleeves of her robes and groaned as her iron breastplate grew cold against the frigid wind.

It didn't take long for her reach the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow. From the shadows at a distance, she could make out shapes wearing brigand armor and carrying bloody tools. It seemed bandits had taken up residency in the ruins.

Elewiese subconsciously glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before she realized this and shook her head. It wasn't as though she were embarrassed about what she was, just careful. The cold wind bit at her pointed ears as she flipped her hood down. She cupped her hands over them and began dragging her ears upward. Her breathing becoming heavier, the mist forming in front of her face, as she called upon the beast that dwelled within her. After a few moments, Elewiese dropped her hands and shook her head.

Her ears were now wider and set on top of her head. They were furry too, sporting the same auburn red hair as the rest of her head, except on the inside where it turned white. She could now hear the clanking footsteps of the bandits' cheap metal armor, even from here some hundred meters away. As she began noticing the individual features of every snowflake that fell around her, she knew her eyes must have changed as well, going from their normal light brown irises to a hazel gold with blood red pupils. Her tongue grazed against her elongated upper and lower canines. Her half-transformation was complete.

Elewiese sighed and sniffed the air causing her stomach to growl lightly. Her hunt after Helgen nearly a day ago could hardly be called successful. One measly rabbit was barely enough to hold over her hunger. Usually she could manage without her appetite even bothering her, but using her gift from Hircine in this capacity left her with a case of the munchies.

You see, Elewiese was a werefox. Not only that, but one granted her lycanthropy from Hircine himself; a sign of respect after she'd killed a Thalmor hit-squad sent to assassinate her while she was still operating in Valenwood. The 'alpha' status, as Hircine called it, offered her more control over her transformations, making this her preferred form. It wasn't all that bizarre looking; she'd even go as far as to say it made her look cuter. Most folks couldn't tell the difference between a Bosmer and the Ohmes-Raht Khajiit that occupied Eastern Elsweyr, what with their wood elf complexion and signature tail and ears. She would claim to be one of these natives of Elsweyr, when she was inevitably careless and got caught with her tail between her legs.

Speaking of which, Elewiese shifted, feeling a mass above her rump. Huffing, she quickly used her dagger to cut a small hole in the back of her robes for her red, bushy tail to fit through. With her change said and done, she scanned the bandits once more with her heightened senses. They didn't seem all that tough, but better safe the sorry. She reached into her satchel and withdrew the first of her three mixtures, one that glowed a magnificent azure color.

She downed it and wiped her lips clean with her forearm. The reaction was instantaneous. Elewiese had, for lack of a better word, exploded the first time she'd tested her Magus Potion, but was experienced and braced for it this time. The magicka in her veins tingled and the air around her crackled. She held out her hand, and gout of blue flame erupted from her, melting the snow beneath her down to the rocky earth. She closed her fist and the flames dispersed.

She heard the bandits react to her little display of magic with her keen ears but was largely indifferent to them. Elewiese was worried the cold climate of Skyrim might've effected the potency of the ingredients she'd gathered for her potions, but that was clearly a worry of the past. As the first bandit marauder started rushing towards her, war-hammer in hand, she began swirling her hands through the air around her, gathering magicka for her next spell. Her body became lighter, lifting her up onto her tippy toes, then not touching the ground at all. Lightning arced off her body, her skin emanating an aura of cold and blue fire dancing along her finger tips. The marauder had stopped in his tracks, terrified.

Elewiese laughed looking at him. "Alright," she sighed. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Elewiese was thoroughly enjoying using magic in Skyrim. The predominately warrior culture of the Nordic homeland left its outlaws utterly baffled when encountering magic of such an epic magnitude as hers. Every encounter Elewiese had while moving through Bleak Falls Barrow was largely the same. She would reduce two or three bandits to ash before the rest ran away in terror. The elf did not particularly enjoy taking life and let them flee. Any who opposed her however were eradicated.

She also found the architecture and structure of the Nordic ruins fascinating. The traps and logic puzzles interested her to the point she found them enjoyable. Elewiese was very knowledgeable about history, but decided she might want to learn more about the ancients of Skyrim, especially when she began running into undead.

While traversing the ruins, she'd overheard groups of the bandits talking about some puzzle involving a golden claw. After slaying a frighteningly large spider and freeing him from a web, Elewiese had paralyzed an outlaw she'd run into who claimed to know how the claw worked. The fool had tried to make a break for it before she zapped him with the spell, his joints locking in place. She looted him of the claw, his journal and his gold before leaving him to the spiderlings watching from a distance. Elewiese read about the function of the claw as the coward's screams echoed through the halls.

The screams of the bandit seemed to stir the true guardians of the crypt: undead. Elewiese was quickly outnumbered by these mummified draugr. She sighed, still levitating, before descending to the ground. Her aura of electricity/frost/fire dissipated as the undead closed in on her. She merely threw out both her hands, creating two doorways to Oblivion. As if they were waiting for it, two daedric armored individuals stepped out of the purple light and eyed the elf. "Hans, Franz. It's been a while." Elewiese winked at her two Dremora underlings who merely rolled their eyes and drew their great-swords. The brittle draugr were no match for the Daedric killing machines.

Elewiese continued on through the ruins, ignoring the crypts inhabitants for the most part. She let Hans and Franz clear the way, occasionally repelling the undead with her holy restorative magic. She eventually came upon a great, stone door with sets of rings to turn forming different combinations. Just as the bandit's journal suggested, Elewiese examined the golden claw for the correct combination and spun the rings to match before inserting the claw. The mechanisms within the door clicked & groaned and began descending into the floor. A gust of stale wind blew past her, the cavern ahead adjusting to the change in airflow.

Elewiese followed the ruined path, noting how the terrain changed to be more ceremonial and ornamental. The Dragonstone was close. She glanced back at her giant companions. "Thanks for the help guys." As always, they said nothing as she waved her hand at them, a purple portal engulfing them and sending them back to Oblivion.

Elewiese ascended the stone stairs, keeping her furry ears perked for any source of noise. She saw some sort of altar and a table lined with a few broken bottles next to a sarcophagus. She thought she heard whispering behind her and turned, flames dancing between her fingers in case of danger. All she saw was a strange curved wall with an odd form of writing carved into it. She'd never seen the script before.

No…she had…or at least, she thought she had. Elewiese tilted her head and approached the wall, too preoccupied studying the script to realize the whispering she heard was getting louder.

She had reached the wall and placed a hand over the carvings. There were clearly voices speaking over each other now, but when Elewiese glanced around she saw no one. Her tail swiped back and forth nervously. One voice spoke deeply, like the gravelly voice of the dragon that sacked Helgen, in a strangely nostalgic language she couldn't seem to remember. The other voice, strangely enough, sounded exactly like her own, but as though it were in some sort of trance.

*Here lies the guardian, keeper of the Dragonstone, and a force of unending rage and darkness.*

The voices grew louder and louder, as though trying to speak over each other, which only resulted in Elewiese's head hurting. It got so bad she fell to her knees and her vision blurred. The world darkened except for the word in the center of the wall. Light seemed to flow from the carving next to her hand and directly into her eyes. The voices' volume boomed in climax before disappearing altogether. Her vision cleared and Elewiese was left shaken. She hardly heard the stone lid slide off the sarcophagus behind her.

The blood in her veins felt hot and her head was pounding. Elewiese had no idea what just happened, but she was certain of one inexplicable, irrefutable truth. "Fus…Force…" Her fingers traced the carving that still slightly glowed in front of her. She had no idea how she knew what the carving meant or how it was even correctly pronounced, but she did. Some form of ancient Nord magic, maybe?

A shadow cast over her, and Elewiese quickly leapt to the side. A sword slammed into the ground where she'd previously been sitting. The elf narrowed her gold and red eyes at the particularly large draugr who'd just attacked her. She quickly somersaulted backwards and cast a spell on the ground. The draugr overlord mindlessly pursued her and stepped on the rune. A pillar of blue flame erupted from the floor for several seconds. When it disappeared, nothing was left but a pile of ash, and in its center lay a stone tablet. Elewiese knelt and picked up the Dragonstone, shaking it free of soot and eyeing its precise carvings.

Taking one last shuddering look at the word wall, she continued on to the ruin's exit. Elewiese snaked her way through a cave system that connected to the Nordic ruins and came out on a cliff side, sun still high in the sky.

She felt a numbness setting in across her body, signifying the Magus Potion was finally wearing off. Sure enough when she held out her hand, orange and red flames sputtered out weakly.

Elewiese was unsure why, but her three signature potions had only one real flaw: they all only lasted exactly one hour. Nothing she did seemed to change the effect of this. Imbibing higher quantities, adjusting the ingredient ratios; nothing worked. She supposed it was the world's way of limiting such powerful magic. And she could always just pop another potion right after it went out. It wasn't as though the ingredients were hard to come by either, they were fairly commonplace actually.

When all was said and done, it didn't really matter how unstoppable the potions made her. She was still no match for sheer scope and size of her enemy. Elewiese sighed at how easily her insignificance could sneak up on her and began scaling her way down the cliff side.

It was maybe early afternoon when she arrived back Riverwood. She pushed her way into the shop owned by the Valerius twins and presented the claw to very surprised and pleased Lucan. She also informed Camilla of how Faendel and Sven were both idiotic enough to ask her to frame each other in Camilla's eyes. After being granted a very generous stack of septims, Elewiese was on her way towards Whiterun again.

She followed the river until she came upon that same fork in the road she had hours earlier. Elewiese again looked to the east, towards the supposed bandit hideout. With her adventurous and 'Why not?' nature getting the better of her, she smiled and set off to clear another nest of evildoers, a glowing red potion in her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

An Elf Like No Other

Okay readers, here's the skinny: I'm a certified lore-whore, especially when it comes to the Elder scrolls. Obviously certain mechanics of this story aren't lore friendly, namely our protagonist's misuse of the Alchemy glitch, and of course I'm taking a few liberties as it is a FanFic, but this essentially means everything I'll be writing about historically _is_ canon, as far as the series is concerned. Backstory on our girl here is also thrown out the window, but pretty much everything else is good. I'll try and point out any discrepancies either in the story or in an A/N, but just try allowing your imaginations to run wild. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3 - Dovahkiin

* * *

Arcadia was taking inventory in her business ledger when she heard the shop's door open. "Arcadia? Are you out?" The Imperial shot up in her chair at the familiar voice and ran into main room.

"My Lady! I'm glad you've- Gods above!" Arcadia held a hand to her mouth as she looked over the elf who had returned. She was dressed the same as she had been this morning, but coating her armor and staining her robes was so much blood. Arcadia stepped forward tentatively. "My Lady, are you alright?"

The elf looked herself over and seemed to notice the blood for the first time. She giggled innocently enough. "Oh, this? I'm fine, it's not my blood." She retrieved a parchment from her satchel and waved it in the air. "There was a bounty on the bandits holed up in White River Watch."

Arcadia looked the unassuming wood elf over with wide eyes. "You killed them? How?"

Elewiese hefted the steel battle axe off her back and nearly fell over as she held it in front of her. "Good old fashioned brawn. The first guy I took down was carrying this. I pretty much just swung my way through the rest of them." She glanced at the state of her clothes again. "Maybe I overdid it a little."

"You really killed them with that?" Arcadia gestured to the battle axe the elf had set against the wall because it was so heavy. "You can hardly lift it."

Elewiese snickered and held up two empty potion bottles. "Alchemy. It's a misunderstood art."

Arcadia was baffled. Clearly the Lady of the Elixirs held a lot more knowledge then she was letting the general public know. "If you can make potions like that, why don't you sell them?"

She watched the elf's face turn stern. "If I sold these, or let them be known, every battle would be a blood bath. I mean, just look at me." She held out her arms displaying the blood splatter all over her.

Arcadia put a finger to her chin in thought as the Lady went to a washbasin in the corner to begin cleaning herself of the blood. So she could create poisons and potions capable of felling innumerable foes, yet she only marketed restorative and curative potions. Despite her clearly dangerous knowledge base, she was a healer at heart, just like Arcadia. The alchemist smiled, finally coming to a decision. "I accept."

Elewiese peeked from behind the towel she was drying her face with. "What?"

"Your proposal for a partnership. I accept."

Arcadia startled as the elf bound forward and clasped her hands. "Really?!" Her smile reached both her ears and her hazel eyes sparkled with hope.

Arcadia smiled. She could hardly believe this youthful, petite, childish elf could possibly be the Lady of the Elixirs. "Yes." Elewiese laughed and embraced Arcadia who chuckled along with her. "So how do we do this?"

The elf took a step back and held out her hand, smiling. "I'm Elewiese, the Lady of the Elixirs." Arcadia's mouth twitched in humor as she shook her hand. "I'm afraid I don't currently have any of my subsidiary contracts on hand, so for now we'll be entering a verbal agreement." The Imperial nodded in understanding. "On that note, I believe our first priority should be getting in touch with Max."

"Who?"

"Maximus Scario. He handles the business side of my apothecary empire, as well trade and distribution. He's something of an acquired taste, but he's a good guy with a good heart." Elewiese smiled thinking about her friend in Cyrodil. He was probably pulling out his hair from not having heard from her for a whole week. "I hate to impose, but could I ask you to mail out a few letters?"

"Of course," Arcadia retrieved some parchment and ink from a nearby desk. "To whom?"

Elewiese retrieved another parchment from her satchel. "Send this to Max. He lives in the Imperial Capitol, in Cyrodil. I'd also like you to notify the other apothecaries around Skyrim that I'll be visiting them soon. Don't tell them anything about me!" Arcadia looked to Elewiese confused. "Just tell them of our partnership and that the Lady will be in contact with them soon to see if they'd like to be a part of our network."

"If I told them a little about you, they might be more inclined-"

"Arcadia." Elewiese interrupted the human, making her look back at her. She was surprised by the elf's serious expression. "This is the most important rule of our partnership. Neither my identity nor the alchemy I teach you can ever be made public knowledge."

"W-why? The alchemist asked baffled.

"It's…complicated." The young girl sighed. "The short answer being that I'm a wanted woman in certain parts of the world." Arcadia thought deeply on this. Elewiese noticed her expression. "If this makes you uncomfortable…"

"Hmm? Oh, no!" Arcadia shook her head. "I mean…hearing that does surprise me Elewiese, but I think that- Well, I know you're a good person." The elf was surprised at how understanding she was being. "I'm sure your reasons for remaining anonymous are benevolent, so I'll abide by your rules."

Elewiese was on the verge of tears. She pulled the alchemist in for another hug, which she returned happily. "Thank you, Arcadia."

* * *

Elewiese waved to her newest business partner one last time before exiting the shop. The sky was turning a reddish orange as she began ascending the city's steps, making way for Dragonsreach. She was glad to feel as light as did. She'd left Arcadia the battle axe she'd 'repossessed' from the bandits to pay for the postage on her letters, and also sold any other assorted loot at Belathor's general store. All she had left was a steel dagger from Helgen and a satchel full of potions & ingredients. It was mostly healing or restorative mixtures but she still had one of her special creations left.

A guard pushed open the large ceremonial door to the keep for her. She thanked him and jogged up the steps before turning towards the court wizard's nook.

Farengar leaned against the enchanting table while a woman looked over his notes on the desk. The air was tense like they'd been deep in discussion. Farengar's mood was immeasurably lightened when he noticed Elewiese. "Ah! The heroine returns from Bleak Falls Barrow! And the Dragonstone?" The elf twirled a stone tablet in her hands. "Haha! So it seems your information was correct after all. And our scholar was more than capable of handling herself." He stated to the woman.

Said woman looked up. She was a Nord, fairly mature but still youthful with sandy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that she hid behind a leather hood. "You went to Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieved that? Alone?" She asked impressed before nodding. "Nice work." She turned to Farengar again. "Just send me a copy when you've finished deciphering it."

"Of course," Farengar scratched his sideburns, deep in thought as he studied the carvings in the stone. "It shouldn't take very long-"

"Farengar!" The three of them looked back towards the main hall to see Irileth, Jarl Balgruuf's housecarl, running towards them. "Farengar, you need to come at once. A dragon's been spotted nearby." Irileth recognized Elewiese from when she'd brought the news from Helgen. "You should come too."

Farengar placed the all but forgotten Dragonstone on his desk as he rushed to keep up with the two elves who began ascending the stairs towards the back of the keep. "A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?"

Irileth snorted clearly less than pleased at the threat a dragon posed against her 'security'. "I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it."

They reached top of the stairs. Elewiese saw the jarl speaking to a city guard, a young Nord, who was doing his best to stand at attention but was slouching with exhaustion and breathing heavily. "So Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" Balgruuf asked as he nodded to his housecarl.

"Uh…that's right." The guard panted out. "We saw it coming from the south. It was fast…faster than anything I'd ever seen."

The jarl looked alarmed. "What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?"

"N-No my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life…" The boy shook, visibly frightened. "I thought it would come after me for sure."

Jarl Balgruuf clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Good work, son. We'll take it from here. I'll need you to fill out a report, and then head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." The guard nodded and moved towards the table. He began writing in what appeared to be a guard's log. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there."

The dark elf had her arms crossed, deep in thought. "I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate."

Balgruuf nodded and turned to Elewiese. "I'm afraid there's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. You've done Whiterun a service, and I'd hate to ask for your help again…"

Elewiese held up a hand, stopping the jarl. "Say no more. I'm in."

Balgruuf's eyes went wide before chuckling. "That eager to face a dragon, eh?"

The wood elf's eyebrows furrowed. A million questions had been going through her head. Was it the same dragon from Helgen? Were the dragons connected to the strange wall she'd found in Bleak Falls Barrow? Why was she so drawn to them? They were all questions that wouldn't be answered just sitting around. She had to face them head on. She took a step forward. "My lord." The jarl raised an eyebrow. "I…can't explain it, but I know there is something more happening here than just dragons appearing. And I think…I think I'm involved somehow. I need to figure out what's happening."

Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth shared looks for a moment. He then looked back to Elewiese. "Very well. Far be it for me to turn away help when my hold is in danger. Go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon. You survived Helgen and have been assisting Farengar. I daresay you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here. Help us and you will be greatly rewarded." He held out his hand which Elewiese shook, smiling.

She eyed the young guard who had been finishing up his report. "Hey you." He looked up.

Farengar approached the jarl. "I should accompany them. I would very much like to see this dragon in person."

Balgruuf shook his head. "No. I can't afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons."

The mage sighed in a disappointed manner. "Very well, my lord, very well."

"One last thing, Irileth." Balgruuf addressed his housecarl. "This isn't a death or glory mission. I need to know what we're dealing with."

Irileth gave him the same smirk she always did back when they'd traipse off onto the battlefield, together. "Don't worry, my lord. I'm the very soul of caution."

Balgruuf snorted in humor but his attention was drawn away when he heard a commotion from their new friend. "Come on! Don't be such a pussy! You'll get another one!" Elewiese was trying to pull the bow off the young guardsmen's back.

"What's this ruckus about?" The jarl demanded.

The wood elf gave an incredulous look and removed the steel dagger from her belt. "What am I supposed to do against a dragon with this? Yell insults?" The jarl nodded in understanding and asked the guard to give her his bow. Elewiese twirled the Imperial bow in her hands, testing its balance. Not quite as weighted as she was used to, nor anywhere near as powerful, but you work with what you've got. Securing it and a quiver to her back, as well as grabbing an iron dagger slammed into the map on the table, she nodded to Irileth who saluted the jarl and began leading the way to the main gate.

The sun had dipped past the horizon turning the sky a brilliant hue of violet. "So, you and the jarl, huh?"

Irileth's red eyes narrowed as she glanced at the other elf. "Balgruuf and I share a battle bond. We met as youths, and forged our friendship in the fires of war. When he became Jarl, I insisted on serving as his protector. He had no cause to argue."

Elewiese giggled. "That sounds nice. I'm a little jealous of the two of you."

It was difficult for most people to tell when a Dunmer was blushing, but Elewiese always knew, and Irileth was no exception. "Gods, you are curious… Almost dangerously so." The Bosmer laughed again.

They came in sight of the main gate, as well as a group a guards that stood at attention when they saw Irileth. "Here's the situation." She addressed them. "A dragon is attacking the western watchtower. I don't much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is it's made the mistake of attacking Whiterun!"

There were nervous murmurs from all the guards. One spoke his worry. "But Housecarl, what chance have we against a dragon?"

Irileth began pacing in front of them. "That's a fair question. None of us have seen a dragon before, or expected to face one in battle. But we are honorbound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes…our families." She stopped and looked each of them in the eyes. "Could you call yourselves Nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?"

The militia was getting fired up now. They shouted and thumped each other in their honorable and steadfast belief to protect their home.

Irileth continued. "But it's more than our honor at stake here. Think of it - the first dragon seen in Skyrim since the last age. The glory of killing it is ours, if you're with me!" The guardsmen roared, eager now for the battle ahead. Now what do you say? Shall we go kill a dragon?" With one final battle cry, the battalion set out for the western watch tower.

Elewiese smirked as she jogged along with Irileth. "I think you're going native." The Dunmer raised an eyebrow at the young Bosmer maiden who kept pace with her. "I just think you would've made a good Nord." She thought she saw Irileth smile but was unsure since she rushed ahead to lead the group.

Elewiese trailed along in the back of the group. The more she thought about Irileth's speech, the more anxiety she felt. Oddly enough, it wasn't the dragon that was making her nervous. In fact, the prospect of catching sight of that beautiful, deadly, scaled beast again excited her. But killing him? That made her incredibly uncomfortable. Couldn't they just chase him away or something?

 _What in Oblivion is wrong with you?_ Her more rational mind thought. _It's a dragon. It destroyed Helgen, murdered innocent people, and now it's attacking Whiterun._ She was right, or the smarter part of her head was right, or whatever. This dragon threatened the peaceful lives of the people of Whiterun, and indeed all of Tamriel. He needed to be stopped.

They'd begun crossing the planes outside the city. Smoke rose in the distance and fire smoldered on the ground. Irileth stopped the contingent of soldiers behind a mound of rocks and surveyed the situation. "No signs of any dragon right now, but it sure looks like he's been here." She turned to address the troops. "I know it looks bad, but we've got to figure out what happened and if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere." She drew her weapon as did the rest of the guards. "Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we're dealing with." They all ran towards the tower.

Elewiese ran ahead, holding her bow at length. Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings and the sky. The watchtower was in ruins, but just as Irileth noted, the dragon was nowhere to be seen. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and as she got the feeling they were being watched from afar. Elewiese glanced around and was about phase into her half-transformation to scan the mountains with her enhanced vision, but a guard stumbled out of the tower and waved at them frantically. "No! Get back! It's still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!"

"Guardsmen!" Irileth rushed forward. "What happened here? Where's this dragon? Quickly now!"

"I-I don't know. Wait…" He glanced behind the dark elf and his eyes grew wide. "Kynareth save us, here he comes again!"

Sure enough, all eyes turned to the south just as the massive winged beast swooped over the valley in between the two mountaintops. It was now barreling straight towards the tower in a predatorial glide. "Here he comes! Find cover, and make every arrow count!" Irileth shouted to everyone, then began issuing individual commands to the troops.

In a matter of moments the dragon had covered the span of a few leagues and was now circling above the watch tower. The first thing Elewiese noticed was that this was clearly not the same dragon from Helgen. He was maybe about half the size of that murderous, black beast from then. This one's scales were a rusty brown color and had fewer spines along the tail. Very clearly it laughed above and to the troops' collective surprise, it spoke in their tongue. "Haha! More joori (mortals)? Pruzah (good)! Know that you were crushed under the might of Mirmulnir in brit grah (beautiful battle)!"

Elewiese was mesmerized but shook out of her stupor when the dragon dropped something from its talons. It landed a few yards from where she was standing, but she could clearly make out a humanoid body wearing the armor of a Whiterun guard. She glared up at the dragon and ran into the watchtower, racing up the steps. Her slender hand reached into her satchel and pulled out the last of her three unique mixtures. To be honest, she would've preferred her Magus Potion. She was fine having already used her Gladiator Potion as it was largely only effective in a melee, not with a dragon that circled overhead. Still, anyone of her potions nearly guaranteed the outcome of a fight, and her Rogue Potion was no exception. She downed the luminescent green liquid and tossed the flask to her side, the bottle shattering at the bottom of the stairs.

By the time she'd reached the top of the tower, the mixture was flowing strong in her veins. Every one of her senses were sent into overdrive, even more so than in her werefox form. She heard the guards shouting and firing their bows from the base of the tower as well as the beat of the dragon's massive wings above. She could smell the acrid smoke from the fires all around, and taste it too when she opened her mouth. She looked above to see the majority of the arrows being fired at the dragon either sailing past or bouncing harmlessly off. Eventually an arrow hit its mark and stuck into the thick scale on the base of one of the dragon's wings. Mirmulnir made no obvious signs of pain and instead swooped down to breathe fire and scatter the guards with those same three words Elewiese had heard in Helgen. " _YOL TOR SHUL!_ "

Elewiese's fingers thrummed impatiently on the length of her wooden bow. She slowly drew an arrow as she observed the dragon's swooping aerial patterns and calculated its trajectory. She notched her shot and pulled the string back slowly. Aiming ahead of the dragon's flight path, she exhaled before letting her arrow soar. The string had just barely finished snapping back when Elewiese had notched another shot and let it fly as well, and then another, and then another.

She watched as the four arrows zipped in a line through air towards the dragon who unknowingly turned into their direction. They sank into the dragon's hide with clinical precision next to the one guard had shot, all moving along the crack that was forming until the final arrow sheared the scale off completely. It was unlikely anyone could see the scale fall off in the darkness of night and with so much smoke in the air, but Elewiese saw her target clear as day. She readied one final arrow, pulling the string as taught as it would safely allow and fired. The dragon flew through a plume of smoke, the arrow racing after it. Elewiese couldn't see through the heavy darkness, but heard a roar of agony from the mighty beast.

She spent a moment congratulating herself. That is until the dragon came crashing back through the cloud of smoke, veering wildly off-course. The arrow must have ripped through the tendon, seeing as the dragon's left wing was limp and seemed to be the reason he was barreling uncontrollably toward Elewiese. The dragon eyed the elf on the tower and seemed to understand she was responsible for his predicament. It roared in anger and did its best to steer towards her.

Elewiese bit her lip as Mirmulnir crashed into the top of the watchtower. He snapped his jaw where the elf had been standing, only to find she was no longer there. She had somersaulted in the air and landed on the dragon. She slammed her daggers in between the beast's scales, both to cause damage and to gain her a handhold as they both plummeted down to ground level. Mirmulnir thrashed about in pain but Elewiese held on tight.

By shear luck, they'd crashed into the ground with Elewiese on top of the dragon, and she was therefor spared the fate of being crushed. Mirmulnir was quick to recover however, standing upright and shaking his hide. Elewiese had been dazed from the fall and flew free of the dragon's body, daggers still in hand. She landed with a grunt and heard the dragon speak. "I had forgotten what fine sport you mortals can provide." He was trying to sound tough, but she could hear the pain bleeding into his voice.

Elewiese quickly recovered and analyzed Mirmulnir who eyed a group of guards forming a shield wall in front of him. She could've swore she recognized his maw smile as he reared his head back and inhaled, the same way he did when he was about to breathe fire. " _YO-_ " He hadn't even gotten the first word of his shout out when Elewiese sprung forward in a front flip and brought her feet down onto his snout, shoving it into the stone ground.

Mirmulnir looked up blood pouring from his massive nostril. Elewiese stood unafraid directly in front of him. "You'll pay for that elf." He lunged his neck forward, opening his jaw wide and snapping his teeth where the elf was. Again she was no longer there. The dragon roared as she made a deep gash on his neck. He lunged at her again and the pattern repeated itself several times over. The guards and Irileth had surrounded the dragon as Elewiese kept its attention. They made slow progress trying to damage the dragon while avoiding his wings and tail. Eventually the Bosmer and the Dunmer managed to synchronize stabbing the dragon in its hide. It reared back its head and roared. "Damn you joori (mortals)!"

The guards were regrouping, huddled and panting behind their shields. Mirmulnir didn't look much better. Elewiese felt his hot, tired breath against her skin. She straightened from her defensive pose and addressed him. "Mirmulnir. Yield and retreat." Irileth shot her a baffled look while the dragon simply glowered at her. "Promise never to return to Whiterun hold and you may leave with your life."

He didn't even think on it. Mirmulnir simply roared in anger. "Thuri du hin sil ko Sovngarde (My overlord will devour your souls in Sovngarde)!" This time when when the dragon lunged for the elf, she stayed, but her body was a blur, an after image. In fact it seemed there were now dozens of copies of Elewiese, all standing around Mirmulnir's dragon body, all of them blurred the in the same way as the first. Then the pain came.

Mirmulnir roared in agony as dozens of tiny cuts began dotting his body. He lunged at several of the after images, but only ended up chomping air. He shouted his frustration and pain in the form of fire all around his body. " _YOL TOR SHUL!_ " If the elf was effected, she didn't let it slow her progress. After a couple seconds, Mirmulnir was covered in hundreds of cuts, maybe thousands, on every inch of his body. His head slumped to the ground and the sound of cutting stopped. The afterimages disappeared and for a moment the dragon felt at ease. Then Elewiese slammed down on the dragon's head, driving her two daggers through its skull. She made sure to twist them as deep as possible before leaping off the tip of his nose.

Elewiese was almost unscathed, the only indication of a fight being her heavy breathing and the scrape on her arm from when she was thrown free of Mirmulnir. Blood dripped down the bosmer's forearm, it's scent being caught in the wind. Even in his dying state, Mirmulnir could smell past the scent of his own blood and to the sickly sweet yet nostalgic aroma of the elf's. A horrifying realization came to him, which he expressed with his final breath. "Dovahkiin? Nooooo…" He trailed off in a gurgle. The dragon did not move again.

Cheers arose from all the guards as Elewiese fell to her knees. She was shaking and felt the need to vomit. _Did I really wear myself out that much?_ Her trail of thought was broken as a drop of rain fell onto her hands. No…not rain. It wasn't raining. It was… _W-Why…? Why am I crying?_

"It's dead." Irileth sighed with relief as she examined the dragon's corpse. Then something caught her eye. At first she thought it was just a stray ember, or the dragon's scales glinting in the torchlight. It quickly spread however as the the monster's hide and muscles were lit aflame, melting away from its very body. "Wait, something's happening! Everybody get back!

Everyone stumbled away from the dead beast, frightened. Everyone except for a particular Bosmer. "Elewiese, move!" Irileth yelled. But she couldn't. Elewiese watched in equal parts horror and fascination as the physical body of the dragon began evaporating into an ethereal essence that swirled overhead. Then, all at once, the vapors lunged at her. Elewiese was still too shaken to react in time. The fiery, illuminated essence of the dragon circled the elf's body faster and faster, then began seeping into her skin. It was hot, scaldingly so.

Elewiese screamed as fire enveloped her being, but it was not a cry of pain. Rather a sort of powerful euphoria had snaked it's way around her very soul and kept growing in ecstasy. Her mind was flooded with all sorts of images and sounds. It was knowledge, pure and simple. The experience was not unlike what happened to her a half decade ago in Valenwood, only this felt right. Drinking that potion six years ago had felt like a trespass of some sort, like she was cheating life somehow. But this? Inhaling the memories, understanding, and essence of this dragon? The feeling was sublime beyond words.

The light finally subsided, sinking into Elewiese's skin. She was left squirming on the ground, moaning contently at the warmness that had settled inside her. " _Fos lost tol_ (What was that)…?" She heard herself ask. Quickly she furrowed her brows as Irileth approached tentatively. " _F-Fos_ (What)?"

Irileth placed a hand on her fellow elf's shoulder. "Elewiese, are you alright?"

She was most certainly not alright. " _Fos los daar_ (What is this)?" Panic gripped her chest, quickly replacing the euphoria of the feeling moments earlier. Every time she opened her mouth, she spoke gibberish, not at all what she meant to say. " _Druv nid Zu'u saag fos los seik_ (Why can't I say what I mean)?"

Irileth had no idea what she was saying. She gestured for one the guards to help her. "Help me get her up. We need to get her to the healers."

They tried to lift her up, but Elewiese stumbled away from them, truly scared now. _No! Stop! Leave me alone!_ On pure instinct, she opened her mouth and made the first sound that came to mind. " _FUS!_ " Her voice came out much louder than intended, with such force that it knocked two of the guards in front of her onto their arses. The sound echoed off the distant mountains and over the plains beyond Whiterun.

Elewiese put a hand to her mouth. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean- Wait. I can talk again!" She immediately tried saying the first few lines of an old nursery rhyme her mother had taught her when she just a babe. _Summer in the hills, those hazy days I do remember…_ To her great relief, the words came out just as she'd intended. She looked up to see the awed faces of the Nords. Irileth was so startled by the voice Elewiese had just used, to the point her hand had unconsciously drifted towards the hilt of her sword.

A guardsmen finally approached Elewiese, his jaw hanging wide open. "I can't believe it. You're…Dragonborn!"

She scoffed. "Dragonborn? What do you mean?"

"In the very oldest tales, back when there were still dragons in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power. That's what you did, isn't it? Absorbed that dragon's power?"

Elewiese didn't need the recap of what a Dragonborn was. She had been rereading the book she'd found in Helgen every single night since she'd recovered it. Something about it just bothered her. But to suggest she was actually… "I-I don't know what happened to me."

"Well, you can shout now. You couldn't before, right?" He gestured to the two guards her were just now picking themselves up. "That can only mean one thing. You must be Dragonborn." A shout. Is that what that booming voice was just now? And those nonsensical words she was saying?

Another of the guardsmen spoke up. "Dragonborn? What are you talking about?"

"That's right!" A third exclaimed. "My grandfather used to tell stories about the Dragonborn; those born with the dragon blood in 'em, like old Tiber Septim himself."

"I've never heard of Tiber Septim killing any dragons." The second replied.

"There weren't any dragons then, idiot. They're just coming back now for the first time in…forever." The first guard chided the second. Even though it was wildly off-topic, Elewiese couldn't help but think how that was wrong, remembering the story of the dragons Tiber Septim had befriended and protected in exchange for their service, like Nafaalilargus the 'proud jewel of the Imperial crown'. The guard then looked back to Elewiese. "But the old tales tell of the Dragonborn who could kill dragons and steal their power. You must be one!"

Guard number two turned indignant. "What do you say, Irileth? You're being awfully quiet."

"Come on Irileth, tell us. Do you believe in this Dragonborn business?" Everyone turned to the dark elf who had been silently listening to the conversation while looking Elewiese over.

"Hmph." Irileth seemed to scoff at the Nord's tales. "Some of you would be better off keeping quiet than flapping your gums on matters you don't know anything about. Here's a dead dragon, and that's something I definitely understand. Now we know we can kill them. But I don't need some mythical Dragonborn." She returned her attention to Elewiese and squeezed her shoulder. "Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me."

The guard with the storyteller grandfather crossed his arms. "You wouldn't understand, housecarl. You ain't a Nord."

Irileth growled. "I've been all across Tamriel! I've seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this. I'd advise you all to trust in the strength of your sword arm over tales and legends." The guards then dispersed and began taking stock of their equipment and tending to the wounded.

Elewiese had plopped onto the ground and was staring at her own hands as if they weren't hers, like they were alien. She then gazed into the vacant empty eye sockets of Mirmulnir's skull, a shiver running up her spine as that sense of immense guilt returned slightly. "That was the hairiest fight I've ever been in, and I've been in more than a few." Elewiese looked up to Irileth who offered her a hand. She took it gratefully and dusted herself off. "I don't know about this Dragonborn business, but I'm sure glad you're with us. You'd better get back to Whiterun right away. Jarl Balgruuf will want to know what happened here." The Bosmer swallowed, wanting to say something, anything that would make sense of the situation. She had nothing. Elewiese nodded and began the trek back to Dragonsreach.

She mindlessly stuck to the stone path, thoughts plagued with questions and confusion. Elewiese would've preferred to avoid any more world-shattering events, at least for one day. Unfortunately, her luck was not that great. As she passed the caravan of Khajiit merchants that camped just outside the walls of Whiterun, several thunderous voices boomed in the sky, shouting one word. The same word Mirmulnir uttered with his final breath. " _DOVAHKIIN!_ "

Elewiese spun around so quickly she tripped, scraping her palms as she fell backwards. She looked frighteningly towards the heavens, half expecting a dozen more dragons to swoop down on her. Instead, she looked to the southeast, towards the tallest mountain in Skyrim, perhaps the world. Silhouetted against the night sky was a stone monastery she'd never noticed, likely because no one could see the peak of the mountain without gazing vertically. Elewiese could've sworn that shouting had come from up there. She sighed tiredly and continued on through the city.

City folk had come out of their homes and gazed with awe up the mountain towards the monastery. When Elewiese walked by, they would stare and whisper to each other. Even the city guard that did not take part in the battle huddled in groups and watched her grace by them. It was an uncomfortable walk up to the main keep. This time when the guard opened the door for her, he seemed more fearful than courteous.

Elewiese strode up the stairs, past the fire pit, and towards the jarl and his advisors. Proventus was the first to see her. "Good! You're finally here. The jarl's been waiting for you."

"You heard the summons. What else could it mean?" Jarl murmured quietly with his brother, Hrongar. "The Greybeards…"

Hrongar heard the senior Avenicci address the elf. "We were just talking about you. My bother needs a word with you."

Elewiese approached the jarl's throne and knelt. "So what happened at the watchtower?" Balgruuf asked anxiously. "Was the dragon there?"

"The watchtower was destroyed, but we killed the dragon."

"I knew I could count on Irileth," Relief flooded his voice. "But there must be more to it than that." He pressed.

Elewiese looked up and met the Jarl's eyes. "W-When the dragon died, I… I absorbed some kind of power from it." Her hands were still shaking.

"So it's true! The Greybeards really were summoning you!" Hrongar stated pleased.

Elewiese tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term. "The Greybeards?"

"Masters of the Way of the Voice." Balgruuf explained patiently. "They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the World."

"What would these Greybeards want with me?"

Balgruuf stroked his beard in thought. "The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice - the ability to focus one's vital essence into a Thu'um, or shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they can teach you how to use your gift."

Hrongar nodded enthusiastically. "Didn't you hear the thundering sound as you returned to Whiterun? That was the voice of the Greybeards, summoning you to High Hrothgar! This hasn't happened in…centuries at least. Not since Tiber Septim was summoned when he was still Talos of Atmora!"

Elewiese put a hand to her head to try and quell the throbbing. Proventus noticed the girl's disposition and stepped forward. "Hrongar, calm yourself. What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with our friend here? Capable as she may be, I don't see any signs of her being this, what, Dragonborn."

Exhaling with difficulty, Elewiese recognized that something definitely happened between her and that dragon. That much was obvious, but Dragonborn?

"Nord nonsense?!" Hrongar glared and shoved a pointed finger at the Jarl's advisor. "Why you puffed-up ignorant… These are our sacred traditions that go back to the founding of the First Empire!"

Balgruuf snorted at Proventus's ignorance and his brother's indignant reaction. "Hrongar. Don't be so hard on Avenicci."

Proventus bowed deeply. "I meant no disrespect, of course. It's just that… What do these Greybeards want with her?" Elewiese had the same question on her mind.

"That's the Greybeards business, not ours." Balgruuf stated, turning his attention back to the elf. "Whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you, and the Greybeards heard it. If they think you're Dragonborn, who are we to argue?" Elewiese was surprised at the Jarl's reverence and respect for monks he'd never met. "You'd better get up to High Hrothgar immediately. There's no refusing the summons of the Greybeards. It's a tremendous honor."

It was clear this Nordic tradition was not to be taken lightly. Therefor Elewiese nodded in understanding. "I see. If they can tell me more about…what I am, then I have no objection to their summons."

"Good. Good…" Jarl Balgruuf's gaze grew distant. "I envy you, you know. To climb the seven thousand steps again… I made the pilgrimage once. Did you know that?" Elewiese shook her head. "High Hrothgar is a very peaceful place. Very…disconnected from the troubles of this world. I wonder if the Greybeards even notice what's going on down here. They haven't seemed to care before." He sighed deeply. Elewiese empathized with the man and his burdens of leadership. He shook his head. "No matter. Go to High Hrothgar. Learn what the Greybeards can teach you."

Jarl Balgruuf stood from his throne and descended the steps. He offered his hand to her, and she accepted. "You've done a great service for me and my city Dragonborn. By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It's the greatest honor that's within my power to grant. Take this cuirass from my armory to serve as your badge of office."

Elewiese took a step back, shocked. "That really isn't necessary. I was just-"

"As a Thane of the city," Balgruuf continued, "you'll be required to maintain a residence here. Therefor we've furnished Breezehome for you, near the market district."

"My lord! I really can't accept-"

"I also hereby assign you Lydia to be your personal Housecarl." He gestured for the Nord woman who'd been standing in the shadows to approach.

"This is really too much." Elewiese's brain was on sensory overload. The strain of discovering so much and exerting herself endlessly in one day left her feeling feint. "I think I'm gonna…"

Without another word, the wood elf fell unconscious at the feet of the jarl. Balgruuf glanced down at the limp body of Elewiese. "Ah…"

Proventus approached shaking his head. "I warned you. We should've given her time to rest before rewarding her."

Balgruuf stroked his beard and laughed dryly. "Perhaps you were right…"


	4. Chapter 4

An Elf Like No Other

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Chapter 4 - A Tundra's Companion

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Elewiese awoke steadily. Even the soft light of the candles seemed blindingly bright, indicating she'd been asleep for some time. Glancing around, the elf found she was in the second story of a Whiterun house, judging by the architecture. The bed she was in was flanked by two end tables. To her right was a chest & a dresser, and off to the left was a table with a chair. The table had a plate with a sweet roll on it, a bite already taken out of it. The ceiling slanted downward, creating a cozy tent like feeling in the bedroom. Elewiese couldn't help but think how it reminded her of her childhood home, in Valenwood.

She groaned in pain, lifting herself with effort. Finally upright, she let the furs slide from her torso to reveal…her naked frame in nothing but bindings. She blushed heavily noticing she was not wearing the same small clothes either. A cool sensation across her chest made her curious. She sifted through the bandages wrapped around her chest and pulled out a cold crushed mineral of some sort. She licked it and her eyes widened. _Ice wraith teeth. Crushed and placed into the bandages to reduce swelling? Smart._

Elewiese jolted as the door in front of her was all but kicked open. A beautiful Nord woman in full steel armor was carrying a platter with fresh bandages and bowl of water. She was tall and lithe, though the heavy steel armor made her look heavier than she probably was. Her hair was black but caught the light of the candles. She had green eyes, cute lips, and that same big nose signature to most Nords. Elewiese was quick to cover herself again. The rushed movement caused the woman to look up.

"Ah, finally… *cough* I mean, I see you've awakened, Thane."

Elewiese got the feeling the Nord was irritated for some reason. "Errr…are you the nurse? Where am I?"

Her jaw clenched and she spoke as though she was the one in pain. "I am Lydia…your housecarl. You are in Breezehome, your new home gifted to you by Jarl Balgruuf the Greater."

Elewiese shifted again and winced. "Dammit." She sighed deeply. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days."

"Seriously?!" Lydia nodded. Elewiese put a hand to her head, recoiling slightly when she felt how hot her skin was. Was it a fever? Aside from the fatigue and a couple bruises from battling the dragon, she felt perfectly fine. Better than fine. Great actually. "Has the healer been by?"

Lydia nodded. "Danica Pure-Spring tended to you. She said physically you were fine, however you seemed to be running a fever of unknown origin. She sent for a curative from Arcadia who seemed rather eager to help. I take it you are acquainted?"

Elewiese thought to Arcadia, feeling guilty that she had made her worry. "Yes, she was one of the first people I befriended when I arrived in the city." The Nord noted the sad look in the elf's eye and raised an eyebrow. It was replaced by shock when her Thane shook her head and stood upright the bed. "In any case, I believe there is a more important matter to discuss. Where in the world are my clothes?!"

Lydia stood and stared at her Thane as Elewiese embarrassingly did her best to cover her body with furs from the bed. "Well Danica recommended that I remove your clothes when I bathe you and change your bandages." Come to think of it, Lydia couldn't help but remember the sly smile Danica was wearing when she instructed her before leaving. The elf fell to her knees, trembling slightly. "Thane!" Lydia stepped forward to assist but hit in the face with a pillow.

Elewiese reached for the other one on the bed and threw it too. She began reaching for anything and everything she could grab and chucked it at the stunned warrior. "Get out! Get out, get out, get out!"

Lydia was surprised but quickly jolted back to reality as a ceramic plate shattered to her left. "Thane, I don't understand-"

"OUT!"

Lydia left without another word, closing the door behind her as a candle stub hit the back of her head.

* * *

"…Ah, I see now…" Lydia shifted in front of the fire pit awkwardly. Elewiese, now in a modest nightgown, was trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks by stirring the broth she'd finished seasoning. "I never knew wood elves were so…sensitive about such things."

Elewiese finished stirring and tapped the spoon on the rim of the bowl. "Perhaps it is as silly as it seems. Being as socially sensitive as we are, Bosmer in Valenwood are simply raised to be more…private of such things. Only with our closest friends and family do we share ourselves. Not to mention you are so…" She eyed Lydia's pretty facial features before shaking her head and bowing deeply. "Never mind. I should not have reacted as childishly as I did. I apologize."

Lydia stood suddenly from her chair and bowed even deeper than the short elf. "Please, Thane. I should be the one to apologize. As your Housecarl I should take full responsibility for my actions."

Elewiese's bare feet tapped nervously as she poured the broth into two wooden bowls. "About that…this whole ummm…Housecarl thing. What exactly is it?"

Lydia's eye twitched in irritation. "As my appointed Thane, I am sworn to your service. I'll guard you, and all you own, with my life."

"And a Thane is a nickname of some sort? Or is it more a-"

"The Jarl has recognized you as a person of importance in the hold. A hero." Lydia interrupted her in a disgruntled tone. "The title of Thane is an honor, a gift for your service." She finished with a sigh, and sank into her chair.

"Does my being your Thane displease you, Lydia?" The Nord could not meet the wood elf's eyes. After a long moment of silence, a bowl of seasoned broth entered her vision. She looked up and was surprised to see Elewiese smiling down at her.

Lydia took the bowl and found the courage to speak. "The day I was chosen to be a Housecarl was the proudest day of my life. I'd grown up in Whiterun and distinguished myself in the city guard. I was to spend the rest of my life, serving at the side of a great hero. I never imagined I'd be…"

"In the service of an elf?" Elewiese prompted. Lydia looked down, feeling mixed emotions about that simple truth. She took a mouthful of the broth and her eyes widened. It was good. Elewiese sat down in the chair beside Lydia and ate a spoonful or two herself, savoring the taste of her favorite childhood cuisine. "I'm not a hero." She began again, causing the Nord to raise an eyebrow. The elf looked at her hand that shook slightly. "I don't even know what I am anymore."

Lydia sighed steadily. "Everyone knows how you bested the dragon, even going so far as to steal it's power, Dragonborn." Elewiese sighed deeply at hearing that again. "I believe you are worthy of being called Thane. I guess I'm just a little disappointed my dreams of being assigned to some handsome, legendary figure that would sweep me off my feet have been dashed."

Elewiese looked startled. "You mean…Housecarls and Thanes can…"

Lydia nodded. "It's actually quite common." She finished off her meal, and was about to thank her when she noted the dreamy look on the elf's face. "Is something the matter, Thane?"

"What?" Elewiese looked to the human and realized she'd dozed off right in front of her. Her blush returned. "Oh! Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing!" She said quickly, fanning her face and eager to change the subject. "Ummm…here. I'll take that." She took the bowl from her housecarl.

"Ah, you have my thanks. It was very tasty."

Elewiese fiddled as she washed the bowls clean. "It was nothing special, really…"

"Normally, I would be the one to prepare your meals, but I'm getting the sense that my cooking is nowhere near as delicious as yours."

Lydia wasn't sure why, but her heart fluttered slightly when Elewiese turned to her with rosy cheeks. "Thank you, Lydia." She simply nodded in response as her Thane went about the house performing various tasks like organizing the clutter of her new home and placing her belongings about the various rooms. She watched the elf place several books from her pack on the bookshelf in the main foyer. Elewiese used a horker tusk as a decorative book end and glanced to Lydia who eyed the books. "You're free to read them, if you'd like."

The Nord scoffed slightly. "I'm not much of a reader-" She recoiled slightly when a book landed in her lap. " _Words and Philosophy_?" She snorted reading the title. "Surely you're joking."

"Got anything better to do?" Elewiese asked while smiling and appraising their food stores.

Lydia sighed and settled in. What she expected to bore her out of her mind ended up being one of the most thrilling stories she'd ever read. Allena Benoch was a wood elf warrior seasoned enough in all manner of weaponry to warrant being the leader of the Imperial guard in Cyrodil. The Nord had never given much thought to the combat of Bosmer. As elves, she just assumed they practiced lesser forms of combat, like magic or their notorious archery. Allena Benoch's adventures and exploits took her all over Tamriel where she picked up every technique under the sun. Lydia found herself disappointed when she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up to see Elewiese fully dressed.

She wore apprentice conjuration robes under the steel plate breast-guard the Jarl had given her. The elf giggled upon seeing the disappointed look in her eye. "You're more than welcome to borrow it." Lydia blushed but put the book into her pack before hefting it onto her shoulder. She then gestured for her Thane to lead, and they pushed their way through the front door.

Elewiese found herself immediately flooded by townsfolk upon exiting Breezehome, all of them either expressing their gratitude or asking for her help with some miscellaneous task. She wasn't sure what part of slaying a dragon made her qualified to find Amren's family sword that'd been stolen. To her credit, however, she did not turn down any offers and simply stated that if she happened upon or found the time to do so, she would help. Lydia admired her apparent kind and gracious nature.

Elewiese sent Lydia shopping for the provisions needed for the journey to High Hrothgar. While her Housecarl was preoccupied with that, the elf visited Arcadia. She'd barely made it through the door before being nearly crushed in a hug from the relieved alchemist. "My Lady! Thank goodness! The last time I saw you, you were a mess."

Elewiese patted Arcadia's back insistently. "Arcadia, that's- Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"

Arcadia let her go and apologized. "Sorry. You just had me so worried."

The elf laughed lightly. "Why? Did you put a little surprise in that potion the healer sent for?" Arcadia had a surprised look on her face. "I heard from my…errr Housecarl…that Danica sent for a fever reducer." Elewiese placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Arcadia smiled wide and gave her most regal curtsy. "It was an honor, My Lady."

Elewiese took her hand and lead her over to the alchemy table. "Now, let's show you how to really get someone back on their feet." Arcadia's eyes widened, but she listened intently as Elewiese began teaching her the first series of potions exclusive to the Lady of the Elixirs, namely her stamina and magicka restoratives, as well as her strongest health potion. It was also an excuse for Elewiese to brew herself a tonic to get her back to full health. Arcadia picked up the strange and unique methods of creating them very quickly, making Elewiese proud.

Arcadia was nervous to let her drink the potion she'd been instructed in making. Once Elewiese felt her strength replenish, she gave Arcadia an enthusiastic thumbs up and assured her that she had performed every step perfectly, much to the Imperial's relief. Confident she had not poisoned her new mentor, Arcadia retrieved a package from her office. "This came for you just this morning, My Lady."

Elewiese smiled at the swiftness of her business partner in Cyrodil. "Ah, well done Max." She opened the parcel. It contained a leather bandolier, several empty glass vials, and a letter. She removed the worn satchel from her waist and set it on the counter. The elf caught Arcadia's curious look and grinned. "This is my traveling kit. I designed it with my alchemical practices in mind." The satchel at the bandolier's base had sorted pockets for various ingredients. From the midsection to the shoulder strap was a series of ten hole-pockets for the thin vials to sit securely in. The human ran her hands over the impressive craftsmanship while Elewiese picked up the note and broke the wax seal on the letter. She read aloud for Arcadia.

" _To my fondest Lady,_

 _Preparations are underway according to your specifications. Your gear will be arriving in pieces at a time by courier in the order you've dictated. The appropriate runes have been inscribed on the parcels in the event that they are misplaced or stolen. Facilities continue to operate at peak capacity and our contributors are eager for the integration of Skyrim's apothecaries into our network. Simply send the contracts my way and I will process them accordingly._

 _On a more personal note, My Lady, I was worried to death about you! Please keep in contact as to alleviate my fears._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your humble, master merchant,_

 _Maximus Scario._ "

Elewiese finished and nodded to herself. Good man. "My Lady," Arcadia inquired. "Why have him send your belongings by courier? Wouldn't it be easier to transport your gear and wealth by caravan?"

Elewiese scoffed. "Are you kidding? With the civil war going on? A private caravan would be commandeered the second it crossed territories. I will not let my tools and wealth perpetuate the slaughter of this foolish conflict."

"I suppose. It just seems like a needless precaution."

Elewiese grinned cheekily. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the difficulty it presents." Arcadia tilted her head. "Cut off from my resources? Scrounging to survive? Danger around every corner? I relish the challenge." The Bosmer maiden giggled in excitement, perplexing the Imperial.

Elewiese secured the bandolier over her breast-guard, pleased at how well it sat. While tutoring Arcadia, she'd managed to carve out some time to brew her signature potions, enough to fill several glass vials. Three Magus, three Gladiator, and three Rogue Elixirs now sat on her shoulder, as well as one invisibility potion if she ever needed to flee a scene quickly.

Elewiese was transferring the contents from her temporary satchel to her kit when Lydia entered the shop again. Her pack was heavy with equipment, though she did not seem uncomfortable. In truth, Elewiese was grateful to have such a capable companion, even if she felt uneasy about their arrangement. "You've returned. Were you successful?" Lydia nodded to which she smiled. "Well done, Lydia. Thank you for your service." The Nord tilted her head questioningly but said nothing.

Arcadia piped up once more, timidly. "My Lady, is it true what everyone has been saying?" Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Are you really Dragonborn?"

Her hands stilled from sorting her ingredients, and she could feel both women's eyes on her. "I don't know. I'm not sure I want to know. All I do know is that there's something inside of me, a will or maybe even a voice, that's calling me to the dragons. And part of me knows that if I do not answer that call, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

Arcadia bit her lip before approaching Elewiese, embracing her once more. "If anyone can stop the return of the dragons, it's you My Lady." The elf was glad neither human could see her face, as she scowled. Why would she want to stop the dragons' return? She returned the hug all the same before promising to stay safe and to return soon.

Elewiese was first out of the shop with Lydia trailing closely behind. Again, townsfolk seemed eager to approach, but a distant look in the Thane's eye added with her Housecarl's glare made them reconsider. Elewiese slowed her stride in the middle of the market before stopping completely. "Lydia, would you mind handing me the pack?" She complied and was amused to see the elf struggle to sling the heavy bag over her shoulder. "Thank you. That will be all. You may return to the keep now."

Lydia's brows furrowed. "Ma'am?"

"I do not need anything else from you, nor do I require your services any further." The closest citizens who seemed to be eavesdropping in their conversation gasped and began whispering to each other. "You are free of me, and I thank you for all you have-"

Elewiese startled as all at once Lydia took the pack from her shoulder and grabbed her arm before dragging her back behind the the nearest building, away from the public eye. "What do you think you're doing?!" She whispered in a hushed tone. "You're disowning me?! In front of everyone?!"

Elewiese was shocked. "No, Lydia, all I meant was- I just don't believe in slavery of any kind, or-"

"How dare you!" Lydia yelled, scaring Elewiese further. "I am a warrior with skills few can match! Housecarlship is an honor and a tradition. To toss me aside like I'm nothing is…is…" She shivered, the weight of her emotions that were swirling inside getting to her.

Elewiese had a hand held over her mouth but quickly embraced Lydia when she saw tears in her eyes. She was about a foot shorter than her Housecarl, putting her face in the Nord's neckline as she wrapped her arms around her. Lydia stiffened at first, but quickly relaxed. "I'm so sorry Lydia. I had no idea. I never meant to belittle your culture. But don't you dislike having me as your Thane?"

She sniffled above Elewiese and spoke hoarsely. "Performing my duty is the most important thing for me. If you had disowned me just days after being named your Housecarl, I would've been shamed out of the hold. Besides it's not as though I dislike you. You wouldn't have been named Thane if you were anything but courageous, powerful, and compassionate; all qualities that you've continued to exhibit."

The elf thought long and hard on this. "I'm sorry," she said again. "It never occurred to me that you had a duty to uphold, and yet here you stand lavishing me with praise, even after tarnishing your traditions." Elewiese finally pulled back, searching Lydia's eyes for a way to ask forgiveness.

An idea came to mind and her eyes sparkled. "Lydia, as a foreigner, I am unfamiliar with the traditions and customs of Skyrim. Would you stay with me so that I do not offend anyone again? And should you desire to leave my employ, you need only but ask."

Relief flooded Lydia's eyes and she nodded emphatically. "Yes, my Thane. Thank you, my Thane."

Elewiese smiled. It was the first time she had referred to her as 'my Thane'. The Bosmer stood up on her tippy-toes and placed a kiss on the Nord's cheek. Lydia blushed immensely at this and cleared her throat. Elewiese stepped back, still grinning. "Okay, shall we be on our way?" Lydia took a shaky breath and nodded once more.

It took about an hour for the two to finally get out of Whiterun. Elewiese made a few more stops, either providing what assistance she could before leaving the city or paying thanks to those whom had assisted her. She visited Farengar once more who paid her for her adventure in Bleak Falls Barrow and recommended she visit the College of Winterhold if she were interested in further magical or draconic study.

Their visit to Danica Pure-Spring was livelier, as Lydia accused her of her prank involving the breach of Elewiese's privacy. Danica wholly admitted her wrongdoing, laughing as she regaled them with how she learned the shy nature of wood elves from the Bosmer priestess who taught her everything she knew about restoration. The new Thane spent the majority of the conversation blushing quietly to the side. As thanks for healing her, Elewiese offered to assist in the revival of the Gildergreen tree just outside the temple. Danica eagerly accepted the Dragonborn's help and told her where to begin.

Lydia noted the calculated and organized approach her Thane took to adventuring, making entries in her journal for every task assigned to her and tracking her progress on said tasks. She was clearly not a novice when it came to journeying.

The sun was starting to sink in the sky by the time they were ready to leave the city. Lydia suggested they wait until morning to depart, but Elewiese merely remarked that she was itching to get moving and enjoyed sleeping in the wilds. Lydia sighed, thinking it must have been some sort of wood elf quirk.

They decided to take the south path around the Throat of the World, towards Falkreath and moving through familiar territory. Elewiese remarked that she was eager to visit every hold in Skyrim, but kept her reasoning behind mere curiosity, rather than outing herself as the Lady of the Elixirs to Lydia. That could wait until they were better acquainted. The journey that afternoon was fairly active. More than a few of the local wildlife attacked them.

First, a pack of wolves descended upon them. Two decided to team up on the larger Nord woman. Lydia was unable to keep the attention of the third who rushed passed her to attack her Thane. Lydia grit her teeth and made short work of her two opponents, cleaving her steel great-sword through the both of them in one swing. She turned to assist Elewiese, but stopped when she saw the dead wolf at her feet. The elf calmly sheathed her bloody dagger as though nothing had happened.

They reached Riverwood at about the same pace Elewiese had three days prior. She greeted her friends Alvor, Gerdur, and the Valerius twins, but did not stay for conversation. She did chat with Lydia however, about Nord customs, Skyrim's holds, and about Lydia herself. Elewiese appeared genuinely interested in hearing of her Housecarl's exploits growing up, much to Lydia's embarrassment. The Nord would occasionally attempt to steer the conversation towards Elewiese, her background, or about her being a Dragonborn. The elf did not budge however.

Not half a league down the road, another locale barred their path, this one much more dangerous than the last. A sabre cat stood tall and proud on a stone vantage point scanning the horizon for prey. Lydia would've whispered that they find another route altogether, but the feline spotted them and pounced down from its perch. The housecarl was moments from drawing her sword and charging when Elewiese put a hand on her shoulder and asked her to stay back. To Lydia's amazement, the elf strode forth at the same pace as the sabre cat until they were only a few yards from each other. The cat roared at her, and Elewiese responded with her own growl of a feral nature. The feline took the bait, charging full speed at the wood elf. A split second before it would've torn into her, Elewiese let loose the smaller of her two knives, the iron dagger sailing through the air and lodged into the cat's forehead. It slumped at her feet and did not move again. She retrieved her dagger and one of the cat's eyes, much to Lydia's disgust, muttering some nonsense about alchemy, before striding onward. Lydia tried to hold her lunch as she followed.

The phenomena of warmth, the fever Elewiese had run in her incapacitation, was short lived. She for one would've preferred it remain, as was made evident by the shiver that ran down her spine the further into the mountains they traipsed. Lydia smirked lightly at the foreigner's discomfort, taking pride in the fact that only a Nord could ever truly feel at home in the tundra that was Skyrim.

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when they arrived at the place where it all began, and encountered their first real challenge. Helgen looked very different than the first time Elewiese had visited. Even the glimpses she caught before running into the keep with Hadvar and Ralof couldn't approach the amount of devastation that humongous dragon had ended up causing. The smell of smoke was still heavy in the air, even a week after the incident.

Had it really been that long? Elewiese could still remember everything that happened with perfect clarity. She could feel the beat of the dragon's wings, hear the boom of its voice & screaming of its victims, and she still trembled with the excitement that the beast inspired in her. She shook her head. What in the nine divines was wrong with her?

"Trouble." Lydia said, drawing her away from her thoughts. She pointed at the closed gate of the ruined fort. Charred bodies adorned spikes driven into the ground, a clear attempt to ward off unwanted guests. "Bandits." Lydia surmised with a sigh. "We should go around."

Elewiese shook her head as soon as she said it. "This is an important road, yes? The only one that leads directly from Riverwood to Ivarstead?" Lydia nodded in confirmation. "Then we should do what we can to ensure the road is safe. Furthermore, you didn't see what happened here. These souls have endured enough hardship."

Lydia looked at Elewiese like she was the oddest thing in the world, but she also respected the truth in her words. She sighed and cracked her knuckles. "Very well. I'd rather avoid charging in on what is most certainly a barred gate. Any ideas?"

"Yeah." Elewiese had just finished drinking one of the red potions from her bandolier and wiped her mouth clean. She then removed the vial containing a white liquid from the top slot on her shoulder. "Wait for me to open the gate, then kill everyone who tries to kill you."

"What are you-" Elewiese drank the contents of the second vial and vanished into thin air before Lydia could finish her thought.

Elewiese moved away from her dumbfounded Housecarl unseen and unheard, the invisibility potion's added muffling effect working marvelously. She walked the perimeter until she found a part of the battlements that had crumbled enough for her to scale over it. Archers patrolled the walls. Elewiese silently cut the throats of two, but the third was too far away to reach in the time she had left from her invisibility potion. She had to find a weapon, fast.

Atop the battlements, she scanned the surrounding courtyard for enemies. She could very clearly see seven of them, the largest of them was a burly man in heavy armor who carried a massive Dwemer battle axe. He seemed to be arguing with a smaller bandit who held no weapon, likely a mage. The closest of Elewiese's opponents stood directly below her, a Nord woman who leaned against the battlements wall tiredly.

A commotion drew Elewiese's attention back to the group huddled around the campfire. The leader of the bandits drew his axe and cleaved down on the mage, ending the man's life, and causing the closest bandit to him to laugh stupidly. Elewiese snorted at the idiocy of the brigands. The mage likely wouldn't have made a difference in the upcoming fight, but mages were always a wild card.

Elewiese's chortle caused the woman below her to stir. "Huh?" She silently cursed and leapt down without another thought. The brigand gasped as an elf suddenly exploded from the obscurity of night. With the strength of her Gladiator Elixir surging through her veins, Elewiese made short work of her, landing behind her and choking her out until she fell unconscious.

The six remaining bandits around the campfire were listening to the leader assert his dominance after killing the mage when they all heard the scuffle and looked over. "Nelgi? Got a problem with that?" The leader asked angrily. Lifting the Nord woman by the elbows, Elewiese waved her captive's arms in the air in an uncaring fashion. The largest bandit grunted and went back to stoking the fire. Elewiese could hardly keep from laughing as she quietly relieved the woman of her sword and shield.

She quietly sprinted towards the main gate and managed to lift the bar off the door just as the last archer atop the watchtower spotted her. "Hey! He yelled, alerting his comrades to the danger. Elewiese pushed open the gate to reveal Lydia, ready for battle. She then looked back towards the group that was now keenly aware of her presence, and momentarily placed her sword in her shield hand to shoot a spell at a specific brigand of the group. Her blood tingled, indicative of the exhaustion of her magicka supply.

The red light hit its mark, exploding around and engulfing the bandit that had laughed idiotically as he watched his comrade get kill by their leader. From this interaction, Elewiese had surmised that his was likely the weakest mind of the bunch. The man immediately yelled in a frenzy and attacked his nearest ally, an Orc whom he cleaved to death with one blow. He moved onto the next bandit who had watched the exchange with horror but managed to block his crazed assault. The outlaw managed to kill the frantic man with the help of an ally who held him at bay.

While this exchange was taking place, Elewiese and Lydia charged at the group, the latter of the two letting loose her fiercest battle cry. The archer atop the watchtower, a Bosmer by the looks of him, took aim at the pair and let loose an arrow. Even in the vague, dying light of late afternoon, Elewiese managed to track the arrow as it soared towards them and raised her shield just as it hit. The blow didn't even slow her, her strong steps kicking up dirt as she continued to charge. The leader of the bandits was barreling at her as well and was getting ready to swing his axe full force. Just before he delivered his blow, Elewiese threw out her legs and slid under the axe as it passed over her. Using the momentum of her slide and the giant's swing, she flung the flat of her blade out towards his feet, toppling the man entirely. She then continued on towards the three remaining bandits.

Lydia cleaved her sword down at the toppled leader, but impressively he managed to roll away in time for her to miss. He stumbled to his feet and eyed the Housecarl before him. She did not give him ample time to study her however and swung at him again. He blocked her blade with the shaft of his axe. From then on it was a test of strength. Lydia used the weight of the man's heavier armor against him by angling her force down towards him. Seeing that he was losing, the bandit leader attempted to swipe her legs out from under her with his own. Being the experienced warrior she was, Lydia saw this coming and sidestepped the underhanded move, countering by bringing her foot up into the man's exposed groin. He whimpered and dropped his battle axe entirely. Lydia then feinted another downward cleave, changing the direction of her blow as the man raised his bracers to block. Instead, she tore through the bandit's side, shearing him almost completely in half and most certainly severing his spine. The man sputtered blood before keeling over for good.

Elewiese was fairing just as well if not better. The first bandit to charge her was he who came to the aid of the other against their frenzied comrade. He made a piercing thrust at her with his sword which she skillfully caught between her blade & shield, ripped it from his grasp, and bashed the man back. Maybe it was Nord bravado, but the man simply glared at her before charging her, bare-fisted. She rolled her eyes and bashed him once, twice, then thrice on the head with such strength that the last of which gave a sickening crunch and the man fell dead at her feet. The wood of her shield was now splintered and cracked.

During this exchange, the archer up above managed to ready another shot, opting to shoot the closer of the two enemies, Elewiese, who saw him out of the corner of her eye pulling back the string of bow. She smiled as her next opponent, another Nord woman, pressed her attack. Elewiese waited until she heard the _thwak_ of the bow above her to sidestep to the right and use the flat of her blade to batter the bandit to the left. The shot the archer fired sailed through the air before hitting its mark…directly in the back of the head of the bandit. The Bosmer archer's eyes went wide before he cursed and began descending the stairs of the watchtower.

Elewiese now stood against her final opponent, a young Dunmer boy. He was nowhere near as muscular as his other brigand counterparts and seemed much too timid for the lifestyle. He glanced around at his dead comrades and held his sword shakily. She took a step towards him and he stumbled backwards, tripping over one of the deceased's legs. Elewiese quickly took the opportunity to knock the blade from his hands, after which he held them up fearfully. She sighed and lowered her sword, much to the dark elf's surprise. Elewiese nodded towards the gate. "Get out of here." His eyes went wide but he nodded quickly. After a moment's hesitation, he ran towards the Nord Elewiese had choked out, and who was just now returning to consciousness, before helping her stumble up and out of the fort. Lydia noticed the two escaping after finishing her opponent and made ready to chase after them. "Let them go, Lydia! They are of no harm." She yelled over to her Housecarl.

The Nord looked back towards her Thane incredulously before her eyes went wide. Elewiese saw her expression and quickly spun around with just enough time to react to the arrow sailing towards her. There wasn't enough time to block the arrow, so she merely dodged it. Before the archer who emerged from the tower's base could act further, Elewiese flung her sword at him, as easy as she had thrown her dagger earlier. The blade impaled the elf in the chest and sank all the way to the hilt.

"Nngh!" Lydia grunted behind her but ran over worried. "Thane?"

Elewiese merely wiped the thin amount of sweat off her brow and threw down her tattered shield. "Whew! That was close." Then she looked back to her Housecarl, her eyes going wide. "Lydia!" She rushed forward to meet her and examine the arrow that'd skewered the woman's arm.

"Dammit." Lydia muttered. "I thought he was aiming for you. I tried to reach you."

Elewiese glanced at her gratefully before regaining her focus. "Here, sit down." She did so and the elf knelt beside her, studying the wound with surgical precision. After a seci, she sighed in relief. "It's a through and through. No nicked arteries. Only soft tissue effected. You should be fine, but I need to remove the arrow." She reach into Lydia's pack and removed some gauze and one of the potions Elewiese had supplied them with. She then unsheathed her dagger. "Don't move, Lydia. I need to cut off the fletching."

The Nord woman braced herself. "Could you just talk about something else?"

Elewiese snorted and drew her dagger. "Like?"

"You were here, in Helgen, when it happened right?"

Elewiese remained focused on the problem at hand but couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down her spine. "In a nutshell? Death, destruction, chaos, confusion." Impressively Elewiese's swipe with her knife was so fluid and seamless, it passed through the shaft of the arrow without any jolt at all. The feathered end of the arrow fell off. "There was a lot of screaming. Couldn't see much 'cause of all the smoke. It was awful." And magnificent, a part of her thought. Her Housecarl hummed thoughtfully. Elewiese gripped bloody arrowhead. "Okay, you ready?"

Lydia grit her teeth and nodded. Seeing her confirmation, the elf quickly but carefully pulled the arrow the rest of the way through her arm. To her credit, Lydia did not cry out, but did ball her fists tightly. With a _shlick_ the arrow was free and Elewiese threw it to the ground.

Lydia breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head while chuckling. "Glad that's over with." She winced uncomfortably as her Thane wrapped the wound with the bandages.

Elewiese handed the potion to her. "Drink this." The unmarked bottle made Lydia nervous. She didn't much trust any potions neither unlabeled nor sold by anyone other than apothecaries. Elewiese saw the look in her eye and reassured her. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Better than fine. I made it myself-" The elf's eyes went wide at what she'd let slip. She was glad Lydia was still scrutinizing her potion so closely and paid no mind to her expression. Finally, Lydia inhaled deeply and chugged the potion quickly. To her surprise, the potion did not taste bitter or awful in any way. Almost immediately a warm, pleasant feeling spread throughout her body, centered on her wounded arm. Elewiese chuckled at the pleased demeanor Lydia wore. "We'll camp here for the night."

Unhindered by her wound, Lydia grabbed more wood for the fire and laid out the bedrolls. In the meantime, Elewiese rifled through the pockets of the dead marauders. She came back with about 350 septims and some items from the last archer she'd killed. She took his steel plate boots and gauntlets that matched her chest-guard quite nicely, and she took his simple, and more importantly, bare wooden longbow. She split the septims in half and placed them in two separate pouches, handing one of them to Lydia. "Here. Your share."

Lydia eyed the coin purse and shook her head. "A Housecarl cannot seek personal wealth while in service to a Thane. My only goal is to assist in your endeavors and desires."

Elewiese chewed her lip in thought before snapping her fingers. "Then you may consider your happiness one of my desires." The Nord blushed and sighed. "Please take it, Lydia. Call it a gift from me for all your hard work."

"Okay…though I'm not sure I deserve such praise." Lydia glanced at her arm, then the bandits, then stared into the fire.

Elewiese put a finger to her chin in mock thought. "Hmmmm…you're right." She reached over into Lydia's coin purse and took a small handful of the coins. "That's for taking advantage of me while I was unconscious."

Lydia's jaw dropped. "It's not as though I were actively ogling your naked body! I was merely changing your-" She stopped short as Elewiese laughed tearfully.

"You should see your face right now." She said wiping her eyes.

Lydia sighed with a scowl that quickly morphed into a small smile. This elf would most certainly be the death of her. They sat in relative silence as Elewiese used the brigands' food stores to cook their dinner, the only noise being the elf's light melodic humming. Lydia stared at her for a long while before glancing back towards the bandit leader she'd killed, his axe in particular. "You should take it." Elewiese said as though she knew what Lydia was thinking. "The way you swing your weapon, you fight like you're more conditioned to using battle axes."

Lydia was again left dumbstruck. "You can tell that just from watching me swing a sword?" Elewiese nodded solemnly. Lydia's perplexion endured when her arm tingled and she removed the bandages to reveal healthy, unblemished skin. She picked up the empty potion bottle. "You really made this?" Again, Elewiese nodded. Lydia fell deep into thought after that, even when she was handed a bowl of vegetable stew.

Elewiese was almost half way through her bowl when she realized her Housecarl would likely remain catatonic until she was offered something, anything by way of an explanation. She sighed deeply. "Lydia." The Nord looked up to meet her gaze. "You've been very forthcoming and generous about sharing your personal life with me. It's only fair that I do the same."

Lydia wanted to say that as a Thane, she wasn't obligated to share any information she didn't want to. However, she was sure that Elewiese probably already knew that, and her curiosity outweighed her sense of duty on this matter.

Elewiese began carefully using her knife to carve runes into the longbow she'd looted, busying her hands as she spoke. Then she began her tale. "I was born twenty-two years ago in the province of Valenwood. It's a beautiful and verdant land that I love dearly, but the reality is that it's no better than a caged animal. And the Aldmeri Dominion is its master." Elewiese spoke with such venom in her voice as she glared into the firelight. "Everyone thinks the wood elves willingly joined the Dominion as their Bosmer ancestors had traditionally done. What you don't hear about is the purges of whole cities, the discrimination of the 'dirt' elves, or even how the Dominion tricked the Khajiit of Elsweyr into threatening war against Valenwood if they did not submit. The Void Nights that took place a hundred years ago, the event the Thalmor claims it solved, adhered the Khajiit to them to the point of reducing the cat-folk to little more than domestic pets. They used that leverage to squeeze my homeland between their two nations until only small pockets of resistance were left." Lydia was surprised by this. It was as Elewiese had said. She'd always assumed the wood elves joined the Dominion willingly.

"This was all before my time, you see. My…mother was quite possibly the greatest rogue to every grace Tamriel. She disrupted communications, sabotaged bases, and killed more Thalmor than most individuals in the Great War. Eventually she was captured. They broke her mind, but not her spirit. She escaped her prison, and eight months later, I was born."

Lydia's hand covered her mouth. "Eight months? Did they…was your mother…?"

Elewiese did her best to settle her upset stomach and moved closer to the fire in an attempt to try and stave off the cold. "The resistance believed she was simply traumatized, and that perhaps she managed to gain the upper hand after an interrogator…took advantage of her. Mother claims that she was saved by the man who was my father, but nobody believed her. After all, there was no way… He couldn't have possibly…" Elewiese set her knife down and gripped her necklace tightly, praying to Mara, Kynareth, Talos, Stendar, all but Him that her mother was wrong; that she really was delusional.

"Who?" Lydia pressed. "Who did she say saved her?"

Elewiese was shuddering now. "I could take it if it was just some sick Altmer who used prisoners for his amusement, but not if it was Him… Not if He just left her the way she is now…" The bastard child couldn't help but remember the blank face her mother wore as Elewiese told her she was traveling to Cyrodil, that she would find a way to beat the Thalmor, that she would have to leave her in the care of others now.

Elewiese threw the forgotten longbow to the side and began balling. Tears came in torrents as she gasped for air. Lydia surprised herself when she leapt to her Thane's side and held her close, whispering gentle words in an effort to calm her down. It was long into the night when Elewiese finally took one last shaky breath, falling asleep in her Housecarl's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

An Elf Like No Other

* * *

Chapter 5 - Would-Be Casualties

* * *

Lydia awoke second. The campfire was nothing but embers, and birds sang in the early morning light. Elewiese sat a ways away from her, spending her waking moments to finish carving the runes into her new bow with rosy cheeks. The blush had first formed when she awoke about an hour earlier, curling up into the arms of her loyal warrior attendant, and had persisted when she glanced at the sleeping Nord woman every couple minutes afterwards. She quickly made herself look busy as Lydia stirred from her slumber.

Lydia stretched languidly and rubbed her eyes. She then noticed Elewiese. "What are you doing?"

The elf was glad to talk about something, anything other than last night. "Arming up." She stated simply and blew wood shavings off her masterpiece.

Lydia tried to read the runes carved into the wood. "Those symbols… I don't recognize them."

"Spell-work. They conjure an enchantment when used in combination with the correct kind of magic." She watched the Nord out of the corner of her eye subconsciously turn her nose up at the mention of magic. She chuckled.

Lydia was quiet a moment, afraid to ask. "Did the resistance teach you that? In Valenwood?" Elewiese did not stop carving. It gave her time while she thought of an answer. Lydia assumed her silence meant she was offended. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried. Especially after-"

"No, it's fine." Elewiese interrupted her sternly, leading Lydia to believe it was most definitely not fine. The elf pressed on with her answer all the same. "I know you have questions about my power, and about my knowledge base. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of answers on that front. All I can say is this: When I was sixteen, an alchemical mistake resulted in the alteration of my higher brain functions, centered around my temporal lobe and cerebellum." Lydia's only response was to raise an eyebrow at that. "I became smarter and very knowledgeable." Elewiese explained. "Call it what you will. Luck, a curse, an act of the Divines. It makes no difference. The process is irreplicable and irreversible. In any event, I used my newfound prowess to become a bit of a thorn in the side of the Thalmor, just like my…my mother before me."

Elewiese blew more shavings off the final rune she'd carved into her bow, immensely pleased with how it turned out. "Needless to say, I moved on from pranks and sabotage towards greener pastures, so to speak, in Cyrodil. To this day, I'm a wanted woman by the Aldmeri Dominion, even if they don't know my name, my face, or even the extent of the damage I caused."

Lydia whistled. "Impressive."

"To some." Elewiese glanced to the Nord guiltily. "I just felt you deserved an explanation. You might have your work cut out for you, Housecarl."

She nodded. "I'm beginning to think so, but you won't come to harm with me, my Thane."

Elewiese had begun packing her belongings, but turned abruptly at the Nord's seemingly carefree attitude at the situation. "This is serious Lydia. Everyone I get close to is in danger. The Thalmor are evil for reasons too heinous to speak, therefore I must oppose them, but that doesn't have to be your fate. I know how you feel about your duty, but please promise me you'll think about leaving my service when the time is appropriate."

Lydia was surprised. She highly disliked the Thalmor of course, given her understanding of relatively recent history and their banning of the worship of Talos, the god of mankind. Elewiese seemed to insist that they were evil somehow though, truly and wholly. Furthermore, she cared deeply that her conflict with the high elves not affect the lives of her friends and family. The more Lydia learned about the elf she was sworn to, the more she was sure it was a good thing. "I will…consider it…"

Elewiese gave a sigh of relief and finished buckling her new steel plate boots. "Thank you." She stood, as did Lydia who hefted their pack onto her shoulder, a brand new dwarven battle axe settled on her back. "Now, what do you say we recover ourselves a Merethic Era dagger and find out what makes a Dragonborn tick?" Elewiese gave her cheekiest grin, earning a cocked eyebrow from Lydia.

Only a short ways up the mountain, they came across Orphan Rock, home to a coven of witches supposedly in the service of something called a hagraven. Lydia was not eager to face a whole group of mages but argued vehemently when Elewiese asked her to wait behind. "Stealth would be the best way to handle this." She explained. "Your armor is much too noisy. Besides, any half-assed mage would be able to outrun you while throwing spells in your direction." Lydia sighed, ceding her point. Elewiese placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Lydia tried to avoid rolling her eyes at that, as well as when her Thane equipped her engraved bow without any arrows on her person.

Elewiese left Lydia on the road and made her way into the clearing, crouching low and sticking to the shadows. Once she was close enough to spot the first of the acolytes, she glanced behind her to make sure her Housecarl was not in sight. Confirming that she was on her own, Elewiese cupped her pointed ears and began dragging them upward while concentrating. When she opened her eyes again, her partial transformation was complete. She could now clearly see three witches mulling about around the large plateau in the center of the clearing. Her furry ears atop her head also clearly picked up ragged chanting coming from the top of the plateau. While Elewiese probably could've managed without using a Rogue Elixir, 'overkill' was not a word in her vocabulary. She downed the potion.

Looking over the bow in her left hand once more, she held out her right hand to summon a swirling purple vortex. Elewiese concentrated, pouring magicka into the knowledge and intent she held in her hand before releasing it. The vortex disappeared, but the runes carved into her bow began glowing with the same violet light. The air around the bow rippled, and when she blinked, she was holding a fully corporeal Daedric longbow, a quiver of razor sharp arrows slung over her shoulder. This summoning spell differed from most in that the bow was too powerful to be simply summoned; it required a physical anchor to be bound to. She'd never named it. It never seemed appropriate considering it wasn't hers, but neither had Hircine given a name when he'd taught her the spell. Perhaps there were many like it in his armory, and she simply summoned a different one every time.

Regardless, the purplish glow from her summoning caught the attention of the nearest witch who began searching the area. As Elewiese's eyes set upon her, the bow's magic took effect. Laid out before her, and seen only by Elewiese, was the witch's intended path, a trail of luminescent smoke, clear as day. The effect of the bow was to predict the target's intended route, almost without fail. As long as she could adjust for the wind conditions, Elewiese was capable of picking off a target from virtually any distance. She notched her first arrow and took aim at the witch searching for her. A rotting corpse trailed behind the will-user and blood smeared her robes. Elewiese didn't hesitate to shoot her down.

The elf lingered in the shadows and quickly killed the remaining witches with ease, their reanimated bodies and constructs they'd raised disintegrating into ash as they died. She slinked up the rise and crossed a fallen log that connected the hillside to the top of central plateau. The chanting was louder now, a harsh and rough voice that spat the words with hate. A creature had its back to Elewiese as it carved taproot from the body of a spriggan that lay on an enchanting table. Its half-crow/half-human like body reminded her of the mindless werevultures back home in Valenwood. Elewiese was just stepping off the log when her foot landed on a previously unseen twig. The creature's chanting paused and it stood motionless. The elf gulped as the hagraven spun around, its face more hideous than expected. The old crone growled and lobbed a fireball at Elewiese who quickly dove under it, rolled up into a crouch, and used the momentum to fire another shot. The arrow sank into the throat of the horrendous beast, ensuring it would never again cast another spell.

Lydia tapped her foot impatiently. The urge to pursue her Thane was great and was only made greater by the sound of a nearby explosion. She groaned and was about to rush into the clearing when Elewiese came into view. She merely smiled and waved with a new dagger in her hand and her wooden bow once again on her back. The elf jogged the last few steps to reunite with her Housecarl who sighed deeply. Lydia commented on her disheveled hair, and Elewiese quietly muttered something about the witches' electricity, too uncertain on Lydia's disposition to lycanthropy to explain that her partial transformation had the unintended effect of ruining her hairdo. The Nord seemed to accept her excuse and asked if she was successful.

Elewiese held Nettlebane up for Lydia's scrutiny. It was a thin blade, aerodynamic in its design, but naturally so. The blade looked like the tapered end of a gnarled root. Elewiese could feel the nature magic that permeated the knife's wicked sharp edge. Nodding with approval, she replaced her iron dagger on her belt loop with Nettlebane.

Elewiese was slightly regretting using a Rogue Potion for something as measly as a couple witches and an old crone. Her senses were still hyper-sensitized as they made their way up the mountain path. The partial transformation had also left her hungry enough to put her on edge. Therefore it wasn't all that large of a surprise when several armored individuals jumped from the brush. "Lydia." Elewiese had just managed to warn her Housecarl and summon her bow in time for the ambush to be sprung.

Before anyone else could react, Elewiese shot a sword out of the hand of the nearest assailant, the blade clattering to the ground. He lunged forward to pick it up but was met with a kick to the face that laid him out flat. Elewiese placed her foot on his throat and aimed her next shot at his head. The man's nearest companions weren't eager to help when they saw the look in her eye. It was something primal and animalistic. "Back. Off." She spat. They obeyed, but the archers of the group still took aim.

Lydia placed herself in between the archers and her Thane but stopped altogether when she realized these men and women were all wearing the same uniform. Her posture slackened a fraction of an inch but remained defensive. "You're Stormcloaks. You dare to stand in the way of a Thane?" The soldiers glanced in between each other, bewildered.

A man stepped forward dressed in furs, but carried a shield with the crest of Windhelm on it. The nearest soldier addressed him simply as Captain. He observed the situation, taking note of the Nord boy Elewiese still had trapped under her foot. "A Thane. You really expect us to believe that?" His eyes narrowed at the sight of the elf, and he glanced between her & his fellow Nord. "More likely you're an Imperial courier who hired a local guide."

"I have proof." Lydia reached into her pack making the soldier's advance. They stopped when they heard Elewiese pull back her bowstring even tighter. Lydia produced a letter with a broken wax seal; one that used to bear the likeness of Jarl Balgruuf's insignia.

The captain strode forward and snatched the letter, quickly reading it to himself. "By order of his eminence…promoted to Housecarl…in the service of…" The captain's eyes went wide. "Weapons down, now!" The soldiers all stood at ease. Elewiese removed her foot from the boy's throat and even offered him a hand. After rubbing his neck a moment, he accepted and pulled himself up. The captain bowed to Lydia. "Forgive us, Housecarl. We had no way of knowing you-"

Lydia struck him in the face with her fist. "You would address me before my mistress?! Know your place!" The captain fell backwards, dazed from the blow.

Elewiese was shocked, both at Lydia's brazenness and at the soldiers' collective demeanor of shame rather than anger that their captain had been hit. Her Housecarl shot her a serious look, and she immediately hardened her expression. The captain got up slowly and bowed to Elewiese. "Thane, I apologize for accosting you in the manner my men and I did."

Elewiese was uncomfortable with this level of formality, and clearly the man's disdain for mer in general that he was trying very hard to cover up. These Nordic traditions around Thaneship must run deep indeed. "No one was harmed, it is of no consequence. However, Captain, as a Thane, I will be obligated to inform the Jarl of Falkreath that citizens are being ambushed on this road by you and your men, if my business takes me there. Do you understand?"

The captain's jaw clenched, and Elewiese thought she may have overplayed her hand. Her fingertips brushed over her new dagger. "Very well." The captain grumbled, making her sigh in relief. "We are duty bound to offer our assistance Thane. Please, join us at our camp for a meal before you continue your journey."

"I don't think-" Lydia caught Elewiese's eyes, nodding slowly, before she could finish her sentence, making the elf sigh. "We would be honored to accept your most gracious offer."

Elewiese and Lydia stuck close to one another as they were led to the Stormcloak camp just off the road. Most of the soldiers were grumbling what nonsense it was for an elf to be a Thane. The young boy Elewiese had disarmed seemed much less hostile towards her, and pestered her endlessly on how she had rendered him all but useless in their scuffle. His polite nature made her smile, and she allowed herself a laugh at the short conversation they had.

They arrived in camp, startling a few sentries. The captain introduced them. "At ease, men. This is the newest Thane of Whiterun, and her Housecarl. We're simply offering them a meal before they are on their way- Hey!"

Elewiese ignored him and weaved through the soldiers towards the sound of suffering. She peaked into a dimly lit tent where three Nords were moaning in pain from various wounds. She glanced back outside. "Lydia, the pack." She nodded and set it down next to Elewiese who cleared the alchemy table.

The captain approached her and grabbed her by the arm. "What are you doing?"

Lydia reached for her axe but stopped when her Thane held up a hand. The look she gave the captain was the same from before. He let go of her arm and took a single step back. "I'm helping." Elewiese stated simply as she wiped the essence apparatus of the alembic clean. "Unless you'd rather your people die." The captain made no further complaint as she got to work. Elewiese slipped her mother's ring on her finger and cracked her fingers. She spent ten or so minutes mixing various potions. When she was ready, she took one of her blue Magus Potions from her bandolier and drank it.

She braced herself, doubly so, both for the effect of her Magus Elixir and because she was unsure if the Rogue Elixir was still in her system. Drinking more than one of her private concoctions at a time put a heavy strain on the body, mainly in the form of headaches and sever muscle cramps. Luckily, her previous potion seemed to have worn off a few minutes prior. Elewiese entered the tent one hand aglow and the second holding various potions between her fingers.

Her first patient had burns across his upper chest and neck. She used the first vial, which actually contained a poultice rather than a potion, and spread its contents across his burned skin. She then ran her glowing hand over the affected area and sit him up to drink deeply from a glass of water. She bandaged his wounds and let him rest.

The next woman had lacerations across her legs and arms, as well as a deep cut in her stomach. Elewiese had her drink a light pink potion which replaced her pained scowl with a content smile, the pain disappearing immediately. Elewiese then ran her healing hands over the cuts on her limbs and stitched closed the stab wound on her abdomen. The woman winced as the elf sterilized and rebandaged her cuts but felt better than she had in a long while.

Elewiese turned to the last patient with a frown. His only wound was from an apparent arrow to the femur of his right leg. The arrow had since been removed, but he was running a fever and sweating profusely. A tourniquet on his thigh stemmed the bleeding. "When did this happen?" She asked.

Elewiese was keenly aware of the dozen or so heads of soldiers poking in through the entrance of the tent, the Captain included. "Yesterday morning. Skirmish with legionnaires just south of here." The patient in question whimpered in pain. Elewiese sighed and shook her head as she exited the tent. She brewed one last mixture at the alchemy table. "Can you save him?" The Captain asked.

"Perhaps." She moved back inside and had him drink the mixture. After about thirty seconds, the man had fallen completely unconscious. Elewiese reached into the pack for a piece of charcoal and made a mark on the man's bare leg, just below the knee. "Lydia. Cut off his leg on the mark."

Immediately several protests were thrown out. There were even a few swords drawn to which Lydia drew her axe. "Hold!" The Captain barked. He looked to Elewiese with a glare. "What's wrong with him?"

"Bone-Break Fever. Preexisting condition from the looks of it. It's progressed to the point of settling in his marrow. It's incurable. When the arrow broke his leg, it got into his blood stream. That tourniquet is the only reason he's still alive. When you take it off though, he'll die." Elewiese remained calm through her prognosis, even as the captain's face grew more and more grim. "Let me be clear. This is the only chance he'll have of surviving." The soldiers all looked to their leader.

The Captain nodded. "Then I'll be the one to do it." He removed the iron war axe from his belt and moved into the tent. "Will he feel it?"

Elewiese shook her head. "He's out cold. I made sure of it."

The captain smiled dryly, grateful the soldier wouldn't feel anything. He placed a hand on the forehead of the man. "Everything's gonna be alright, son. We'll have you home in no time." He moved back and raised his axe. He glanced at Elewiese who readied her healing hands and nodded. The captain swung down and the leg was severed.

Elewiese quickly moved it aside and began applying her power to the wound. Blood coated her hands and the tent glowed with an aetherial light as her grand healing spell worked its magic. When the gaping flesh was a tender reddish pink and the bleeding had stopped, she bandaged it heavily. The last step was to get him to drink the final potion she'd prepared, a disease panacea, and with that she left the tent with labored breathing.

The soldiers either parted to make way for Elewiese or rushed passed her to check on their healing comrades. The elf drudged towards a washbasin, turning the water red as she scrubbed her hands clean, and took a deep breath. Lydia smiled and offered her a clean linen. The elf returned the expression, leaning against her Housecarl tiredly and using the linen to dry her hands and wipe the sweat from her brow.

The captain eventually approached the duo. They had since moved to sit on a log near the fire. "May I have a moment, Thane?" Elewiese lifted her head from Lydia's shoulder and nodded. "I just wanted to offer my gratitude. Thanks to you, we have the manpower to overpower our main objective, an Imperial caravan moving through this pass tomorrow."

Elewiese's expression turned cold as ice, accentuated by the dark circles forming under her eyes. "Your mistaken, Captain. You've no more manpower than you had before I arrived. They are not healed yet. The magicks I've applied could easily unravel under the enough stress."

"But surely they've recovered enough to-"

"It wasn't your fault they were dying before, but I saved them. When they die tomorrow, it will be your fault." Her steely glare made the captain very uncomfortable.

"Very well," he grumbled. "I will call off the operation." He stood and addressed his men, informing them of the circumstances. Afterwards, Elewiese received many thanks from relieved friends of the wounded. The man who'd been burned even felt well enough to shake her hand. While she accepted their gratitude, Elewiese and Lydia were both offered large strips of the venison chop roasting over the fire. The war party then returned to what could be considered 'business as usual', albeit a little more chipper.

Elewiese realized they were no longer being scrutinized and nudged Lydia, mouthing "Let's go." Once they were a distance away from the camp, the Thane addressed her Housecarl in between bites of leftover venison. "Sorry if I broke some kind of custom by just leaving like that, but I'd had enough of that guy."

"The Captain?" Lydia stifled a laugh. "I think you're entitled to a few liberties after saving the lives of three of his men."

Elewiese couldn't help but let her next comment slip. "Fools."

Lydia suddenly felt very uncomfortable, wondering if her Thane had stronger feelings about the war than she had let on. "You disapprove of the war then, ma'am?"

Elewiese stopped altogether and growled under her breath. "You know what really pisses me off? Watching all of you idiots play right into the hands of the Aldmeri Dominion." Lydia gave her a wavering look. Elewiese sighed deeply and turned apologetic, hooking an arm through her Housecarl's before walking forward again. "I'm sorry. It's just difficult to watch your two nations enriching my enemy. The Empire is right for the wrong reasons, and the Stormcloaks are wrong for the right reasons. I won't ask your opinion on the matter, but regardless, this fight isn't going to have any winners other than the Thalmor."

Lydia realized that saying Elewiese had strong feelings about the war was an understatement. In truth, Lydia sensed she didn't feel half as strongly about it, and it was her homeland that waged civil unrest. Regardless, she thought it wiser to simply remain silent as Elewiese clung to her, shivering as they walked through the frozen mountain pass.

Perhaps it was mere luck, or perhaps it was the gloom hanging over the elf that kept the wildlife and bandits at bay all the way to Ivarstead. They didn't see the sun again that day. They descended from the cloud bank in the mountain pass, but the sun had already gone down. The duo entered Ivarstead under the cover of night, surprising a guard of the Rift who patrolled the town, torch in hand. The guard kindly directed the weary travelers towards the Vilemyr Inn, and Elewiese thanked him.

They entered the inn, and the Nord behind the counter seemed just as surprised as the guard to have visitors so late in the day but smiled all the same. "Well met travelers! Name's Wilhelm. Let me know if there's anything you need."

The last mile or so, Lydia had ended up leaning on Elewiese more than the other way around, much to the elf's amusement. She set her tired Housecarl on a bench next to the fire and approached the innkeeper. "Good evening." She said glancing around. "This is quite the lovely little hamlet."

Wilhelm smiled appreciatively. "Much obliged stranger. We do what we can to make the place as livable as possible, despite sitting in between the looming mountain and a supposedly haunted barrow."

This piqued Elewiese's interest, and she made a series of inquiries about the barrow on the far side of town. It warranted an inspection at a later date. For now, she and her company were severely tired. "We'll take two rooms, please. Oh! And two of your finest bottles of mead."

Wilhelm was surprised but smiled as he reached under the bar to grab a couple bottles of Black-Briar Reserve. He wasn't expecting an elf to have a taste for the Nords' drink of choice. Elewiese paid and tipped him generously, and he thanked her in turn. The elf brought a bottle over to her slumped companion and whispered her name. "Lydia? Oh Lydiaaa…" Getting no response other than a light hum, Elewiese uncorked one of the bottles and placed it under the woman's nose.

Lydia's eyes shot open and she stood up, making a grab for the bottle in Elewiese's hands. She held it just out of reach with a smile painted on her face. Lydia pouted but obeyed as her Thane curled her finger in a 'come here' gesture. They entered the first of the two rooms she had paid for and Elewiese gestured to the bed. "Sit." Lydia did so and swooned from fatigue, taking the bottle greedily when it was offered. She was halfway through the bottle when Elewiese cleared her throat.

The elf was raising her bottle with an amused expression. Lydia hiccupped before speaking. "Sorry." She rose her bottle as well understanding the gesture. "What are we toasting to?"

"To you, Lydia." The Nord felt her cheeks warm but was certain it was the mead kicking in. "And all you've done to assist me. I am truly grateful to have you as a companion…and friend." Elewiese's eyes shone with the sincerity and appreciation she voiced.

"I-It is an honor…and a pleasure…my Thane." Elewiese clinked her bottle against Lydia's and neither spoke again. Lydia quickly finished her drink and shivered in delight. Elewiese made it half way through hers before she began feeling lightheaded. She offered the rest to Lydia, who accepted and made quick work of it.

The Housecarl hiccupped lightly and let her head drift sideways until it landed on the bed. Her eyes were heavy and her mind was made fuzzy because of the mead. She felt her boots as they were stripped from feet and the leather straps being unbuckled at her sides. Lydia groaned lightly when she was turned to the side so that her steel cuirass could be removed, but hummed in appreciation when her legs were lifted onto the bed, so that she now lay completely horizontally. The last thought she had was of the soft, warm lips that kissed her brow before drifting off into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

An Elf Like No Other

* * *

Chapter 6 - In Wisdom's Grace

* * *

Elewiese wasn't entirely sure where she was…or how she got there. Everything was light. Her footing was solid enough, but she could tell it wasn't a room. It was as though she were standing on nothing but open air. Air that seemed endless and unhindered, which made this…some sort of realm? She twirled in every direction but found nothing other than white for as far as the eye could see. That is until a rumble sounded behind her.

She turned and was met with a dragon beyond comprehension. He was the size of a mountain, every scale and patch of skin glinting like it was pure gold. High above, his eyes shone like massive rubies, and they were staring right at her.

Elewiese's mortal body trembled, frightened, but her heart and soul kept her anchored in place. In truth, she felt her heart skip a beat and leap about in excitement at this chance encounter. How could her body be so at odds with her soul? Her eyes roamed over his beautiful body, admiring the strength of his muscles and wings that could level forests with but a single flap.

Elewiese tentatively approached the beast. She wondered who he was. He seemed to be analyzing her as well, intelligence gleaming behind his crimson eyes. He must be a great dragon to be so large, so powerful. Who was he?

Elewiese stopped dead in her tracks. All semblance of wonder dropped from her face. To be so massive, so powerful, would transcend the mortal coil, would transcend even dragonkind. This wasn't just some creature. This was a force of nature that had taken part in the shaping of reality. This was divinity. A dragon god. The dragon god.

"No." Tears fell freely from her face and she shook her head. Elewiese began backing up, breathing heavily from the emotions that welled up in her chest. "Get away from me…" The dragon tilted its head as though it were…saddened? She put her hands on her head, the rush of anger making her feel dizzy. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed at him before turning and running.

Whatever force was keeping her suspended in the air must have been smaller then she realized. Elewiese took three steps before she began tumbling through the light. Wind whipped at her face as she panicked and flailed about.

A smudge in the distance contrasted starkly with the white background and caught her eye. She stilled her movement to get a better look. A familiar roar confirmed what her eyes were seeing; the same roar that had shaken the walls of Helgen. That same black dragon was diving after her as she tumbled through the empty air. She tried to angle her body to fall faster or to glide away, but she was no dragon. The beast was quickly gaining, his eyes burning like red, hot coals. He outstretched his claws and Elewiese tensed, preparing to be crushed and torn apart by his talons. The dragon gave one final roar before she shut her eyes.

* * *

"Elewiese!"

It took a few moments for her to regain full coherency. The strain on her arm made her look to see Lydia holding her hand at bay; her hand that held Nettlebane and was inches from Lydia's throat. Elewiese dropped the dagger, listening to it clatter to the floor as her head fell back down to the pillow under which she had kept it. Sweat plastered her auburn hair to her forehead. "Did you just call me by my name?" She asked, eyes closed.

Lydia looked her over with a worried expression. "You weren't answering to 'my Thane'… Are you alright?" She had released Elewiese's arm, but still held her hand gently.

The elf rubbed her large eyes with her free hand. "Can you ummm… Can you make sure the pack is stocked for the journey up the mountain?"

Lydia bit her lip, unsure of how to best help her Thane. Unable to come up with anything concrete, she nodded and returned to her room to double check their supplies. Elewiese sat up, the cold floor sending a shiver from her bare feet all the way up her spine. She glanced over to her bandolier, set on the bedside table. Sifting through the pockets, she retrieved her mother's ring and held it tightly while shuddering.

Lydia sat near the fire pit in the main hall of the tavern, waiting for her mistress. When she finally emerged, Lydia informed her that everything was in order and ready for their journey. "Good, but knowing is half the battle. Let's ask around town to see what we can find out about the climb up the mountain."

"Aren't you going to eat first? I already grabbed something, but you should really fill up. We've got a long climb ahead of us."

At the mention of food, Elewiese's stomach growled. She bit her lip. Eating would take time, and she wanted to avoid a situation where Lydia could ask her about her nightmares. Luckily her tummy's protests were light enough that Lydia did not hear them. "Actually, I already ate as well." She lied. "I had some preserved meat I was hoarding so I'm good to go." She gave her Housecarl a double thumbs up, to which she merely shrugged and gestured for her to lead the way.

The two spent the early morning getting to know the small village's occupants. Living so close to the mountain, it was no wonder all of them heard the Greybeards' call for the 'Dovahkiin'. They all said essentially the same thing; that they'd only ever heard stories about the elusive monks summoning great heroes to their hall. The climb itself would prove difficult. The 7,000 Steps leading to the monastery would be no picnic, nor any wildlife that decided to occupy the trail. A man named Klimmek gave what advice he could pertaining the climb in exchange for Elewiese's assistance in delivering some supplies to the monks. She accepted quickly, thinking it would be good to be seen approaching bearing gifts. After securing the sack to her back and receiving a genuinely fond farewell from a fellow Bosmer named Gwilin, Elewiese and Lydia started their climb up the mountain.

They'd crossed the bridge and ascended the first few steps when they were met with a stone effigy displaying an etched tablet. A Nord hunter sat at the base of the effigy and stirred when he heard them approaching. "Keep an eye out for wolves if you're heading up the path to High Hrothgar." He warned.

"Thanks." Elewiese said. "What brings you out here…?"

The man smiled. "Barknar 's the name. I like to spend time up here. Walk the steps, meditate on the emblems. It doesn't hurt when I bag some game on the way."

"What are these emblems?"

Barknar waved his hand up the path. "There are ten Etched Tablets along the trail telling of the founding of High Hrothgar. Reading them all is said to give one the 'Voice of the Sky', whatever that is."

Elewiese leaned past the Nord to read the tablet. It spoke of the dragons of old, and their Voice that had the power to blot out the sky and flood the land. She thanked the hunter again and continued up the trail.

He had been true to his word. Lydia growled at the sight of a wolf pack prowling around a ways up the trail, drawing the attention of Elewiese who had been collecting a few mountain flowers. Luckily, the canines seemed put off by the burly Nord warrior's demeanor and scampered off. Lydia's shoulders sagged, and Elewiese giggled at her disappointment.

They continued along the path, ascending the steps and keeping an eye out for danger. Lydia tried not to feel too excited about making the pilgrimage every true Nord dreamed of making. However, she was surprised to discover Elewiese paying each emblem great reverence as well. She tried to read her Thane's expression as she learned the history of the dragons' war against mortals. Ultimately, Lydia couldn't discern anything by just staring at her.

It had been a hard couple hours of climbing when they met their next pilgrim. Lydia was breathing heavily from the high altitude and Elewiese was shivering fiercely. They came across a woman seemingly unaffected by the climate and sitting cross legged on one of the stone effigies. She introduced herself as Karita but seemed largely disinterested in sharing more about herself then that. Elewiese decided to leave her be, quickly reading what this emblem had to say before moving on, Lydia in tow.

They were walking in a narrow stone canyon when rubble fell from above. Lydia had one hand on her axe and one on held out protectively in front of Elewiese. They both looked up to see wildlife alright, but it wasn't anywhere near as hostile as what they'd previously encountered. The mountain goat brayed at them before jumping down from the ledge and cantering back in the direction they'd come from. Lydia chuckled. "I suppose something has to be at the bottom of the food chain up here."

Elewiese wasn't listening though. Her hunger had returned watching the goat jump around on its plump, meaty legs, and this time she was not powerful enough to abstain. She licked her lips and hid Nettlebane in her sleeve. "Dammit!" She feigned surprise. Lydia looked back questioningly. "I must've dropped my dagger while collecting ingredients near that last emblem." Lydia shot Elewiese a disgruntled look to which she rose her hands innocently. "Have no fear, I'll only be a minute." She gestured to a nearby overhang that would provide moderate shelter for her Housecarl. "Just wait over there."

Lydia watched her go before kneeling in the cover of the rocky overhang. She inhaled steadily, trying to get a hold of her breathing. Leave it to Lydia's luck to be assigned to a Thane who couldn't even keep track of items vital to theirs quests. She thought there was hope in the progress she'd made getting to know Elewiese. More so when she'd seen how the elf used her great reservoirs of power for good. But they say there's no cure for clumsiness.

Lydia noticed rubble rain down from the top of the overhang she was under. She assumed it was just another mountain goat and paid it little mind. That is until a frost troll leapt from the top of the overhang and landed directly in front of her. She watched, silent and bewildered, as the troll sniffed the air, growling. It seemed the rumor about trolls having a great sense of smell were true, as the disgusting creature slowly turned towards Lydia and bared its rotten, yellow teeth. The Nord cursed and drew her dwarven battle axe.

The troll charged at her, swinging its massive forearms at her and just barely missing. Lydia dove to the side and came up in time to cleave the beast good in the back. Her axe sailed through air and sank through the flesh on the troll's back, leaving a good long cut. To her amazement though, the frost troll seemed unfazed. It charged at her again. She managed to dodge this strike as well, though not without effort. The high altitude was still impairing her breathing.

Lydia made several more blows on the beast's hide but it didn't seem to be slowing down. When Lydia came up from a roll behind the troll's back, she saw why. Where her first strike had landed on the monster was now completely healed. Lydia huffed in disbelief, realizing that all her blows had been healed or were disappearing before her very eyes. Distracted and tired, Lydia did not have time to dodge the next blow. She braced herself as the frost troll swung its arm and connected with her battle axe. The hit came with such strength that Lydia was thrown back into the mountainside, slamming into the stone earth.

Lydia found she could not get up and dizzily looked up into the face of the monster that would be her demise. Oddly enough her mind was blank. Her life did not flash before her eyes, she did not think of where her Thane could be, she didn't even scramble for countermeasures to subvert her fate. She just stared up into the troll's maw as it roared in triumph.

All that changed when a creature much more frightening slammed into the frost troll.

* * *

Elewiese sighed, finally and truly satisfied for the first time all day. Having spent the whole morning hungry and cold, being full and warm was almost an alien sensation. She had managed to hunt down the goat before it went far enough back on the trail to be within earshot of the second pilgrim she'd encountered, Karita. As luck would have it, the goat blundered into two more mountain goats, making for a lovely little herd.

Elewiese licked her lips and transformed quickly. Her armor, robes, and weapons melted away in a ripple along with her mortal form, all stored away somewhere…within. Her body was replaced with that of the beast that slumbered inside. Her skin was replaced with hide and fleecy red fur, her face elongated into a snout tipped with a twitching black nose, and her legs now bent in the opposite direction they normally would. She also sported the same ears, eyes, and tail she had previously with her half-transformations.

Elewiese giggled as the naturally warm feeling overtook her, and pounced on the herd of goats without another thought. She made quick work of them and ate her fill quickly, not wanting to keep Lydia waiting. Her ears twitched as she was finishing off the third goat. A roar in the distance made her pause. She couldn't smell anything over the blood at her feet and around her mouth, so instead she remained as still as possible, keeping her ears perked. She heard the roar again as well as the heavy breathing and pained grunt of a voice that was becoming all too familiar. Elewiese set off immediately.

What would've taken her a couple minutes in her mortal form, Elewiese covered the distance in a matter of seconds to return to Lydia. Good thing too, considering the frost troll she was facing was looming over her, ready to deliver the final blow. Elewiese tackled the animal to the ground, taking it by surprise. It did not last long. She came close to the strength of a frost troll in her full form, but not quite. She jumped up and away from the beast before it could wrap those heavy arms around her and crush her.

While she wasn't as strong, she was most definitely faster, by leagues. Elewiese purred in a sort of beastly chuckle as she dashed behind the troll and shot out her hand, digging her claws through the hardened flesh of its arm all the way to bone and breaking it with a flick of her wrist. The troll roared and swung its other arm around to hit her. She saw the blow coming and flashed in front of the beast, its arm not even close to hitting her. She repeated the process with the troll's second arm, and it growled in pain.

No longer in danger of being crushed by its arms, Elewiese shot the troll's legs out from under it with a sweep of her feet. The beast landed on its back, and she hopped onto its chest. She began clawing and tearing through its hide, literally ripping the troll's flesh and ribs apart wide enough to see its internal organs. The beast roared in agony as Elewiese's target came into view, beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. She lunged forward with her snout and ripped the troll's heart from its chest. The beast's several bloodshot eyes went wide before it went slack, dead.

Elewiese leapt up from the troll's corpse and spat out the heart, finding the taste of the beast's blood disgusting. She was panting heavily, the altitude and exhaustion from the fight finally getting to her. Unfortunately, it seemed the fight was not over.

Elewiese sensed the axe swinging towards her, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She quickly ducked and avoided Lydia's attack. However, her paw slipped on the ice, plopping her onto her hind quarters and startling her. She was so caught off guard that when Lydia was readying her next blow, Elewiese accidentally let her voice slip. "Lydia, wait!" Her Housecarl's axe stopped in midair, and her eyes went wide, staring at the beast in front of her. Elewiese wrapped her hands around her snout. "I mean…"

"Elewiese?!" Lydia asked bewildered.

"Ummmmm…no?" She tried. Lydia's expression did not change. Elewiese sighed. "Fine, yes. It's me."

The creature hopped up from the ground, Lydia keeping her offensive stance the whole time. Elewiese closed her eyes in concentration. Lydia thought the beast was shuddering, but the air around her was actually rippling to reveal her Thane. No…not quite her Thane. She had the same body structure and clothing, as well as all the same facial features, except for her ears and eyes. Lydia also caught sight of a tail swishing nervously back and forth behind her.

The familiar and seemingly innocent form of her Thane made Lydia lower her axe, but not sheathe it. She stepped closer examine the new features of the 'elf'. "What…what are you?"

"Well…Lydia…I'm a werefox."

The Nord's green eyes examined her red and gold ones. "You mean a werewolf?"

"No a werefox. There are several different kinds of lycanthropy- Ah!" Elewiese moaned as Lydia began rubbing her furry ears curiously. She reached up to still Lydia's hand with her own. "Please, those are quite sensitive."

"Interesting." Lydia stated, sheathing her axe and walking in a circle around her. "I've heard of werebears on the island of Solstheim, but never werefoxes."

Elewiese was surprised by Lydia sudden lack of hostility. "You don't disapprove then?"

"Hmm?" Lydia looked up from staring at Elewiese's butt (more specifically her tail), something that made her blush fiercely. "Well, from what I've seen, you don't seem to be a mindless bloodthirsty monster, the kind that needs to be hunted down. Furthermore, there's no rule that says a Thane can't be one."

Elewiese twiddled her thumbs nervously. "But do you disapprove?"

Lydia finished her examination and stood in front of Elewiese, crossing her arms. "That depends. How and why are you a werefox?"

Elewiese gulped. "Four and a half years ago, while I was still in Valenwood, I'd raided a caravan en route to the Thalmor magistrate overseeing operations in the territory. Their response was to send a joint Altmer-Khajiit hit squad after me. I left signs and clues, leading them further into the deepest parts of the forest. When they were in deep enough, I began picking them off one by one, until none were left. As I was looting the last of the assassins, a brilliant white stag appeared before me, an aspect of Hircine…"

Elewiese tried to gauge Lydia's reaction to hearing that she'd consorted with a Daedric Prince, but she remained stone faced. "He admired the way I'd dealt with them. 'The hunters had become the hunted' is what he told me. He offered me a gift of power to assist in my future endeavors. I told him I had no desire to become a mindless beast. 'True,' he said. 'A real hunter keeps her wits about her. How's about becoming the most cunning and guile hunter of the forest? As an Alpha, you will not know compulsion the way other werecreatures do and you will have more control over your transformations.'"

Lydia noted the way Elewiese blushed and dug her heels into the snow. "I…think Hircine had a bit of a crush. He seemed to think I was a cut above the hunters he'd met in recent years, and was pleased when I accepted his offer to become a werefox. He appears to me from time to time, offering praise or a gift."

Lydia had a hand on her chin in thought but inquired further on that. "A gift?"

Elewiese removed the bow that had also returned, along with her clothes and other weapons, from her back. She summoned that swirling purple vortex with her other hand and called forth the weapon from Oblivion. The runes along the bow glowed with the same violet light before the entire bow morphed into one of clearly Daedric design. "He taught me a spell to summon a weapon from his armory. In all the lore I've managed to scrounge up, I've never come across such favoritism."

Lydia smirked. "I guess you've got an admirer then."

Elewiese perked up. "So you approve?"

Lydia's raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Of Hircine? No. Of you? Yes. Hircine is respected by some Nords. They admire his fairness and way of life regarding the hunt. I personally find some of his actions distasteful. Particularly those on Solstheim."

"The Bloodmoon Prophecy, yes." Elewiese nodded in agreement recalling the tale of Hircine's corporeal visit to Tamriel every era. The last one took place some five centuries earlier, pitting the island's greatest warriors against one another and subjecting the last man standing to a fight with an aspect of Hircine. The fabled hero of the Dunmer, the Nerevarine, was victorious in the event, but the island to this day nervously holds its breath awaiting the next Bloodmoon Prophecy.

"I think you'll find that the people of Skyrim won't really care what you are, at least no more than they would for you not being a Nord. Just maybe keep the tale of Hircine to yourself." Lydia finished making Elewiese sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Lydia, for being so understanding." Her furry ears twitched in happiness.

"I am sworn to carry your burdens." Lydia responded with sarcasm in her voice. "Besides, it's the least I can do for saving my life."

The two shared a smile before they continued hiking up the path. All the while, Elewiese tried to ignore the fact that her companion was very openly staring at her ears. Being only in her half transformation, the cold came back to the elf, and she was shivering again in no time. They were fortunate not to run into anymore wildlife. It left the both of them free to ponder on the meaning of history of High Hrothgar that they gleamed from the remaining emblems. Elewiese clung to Lydia's arm, desperate for any respite from the frigid wind. The Bosmer stopped suddenly, forcing her Nord companion to halt as well.

A large statue of a man was nestled against the side of the mountain. He was an armored individual with a solemn expression under his winged helm and held a long sword which he drove into the neck of a snake. Elewiese let go of Lydia's arm, momentarily forgetting the cold, and knelt before the shrine to Talos. "For years all silent, the Greybeards spoke one name," she spoke aloud, reading the tablet. "Tiber Septim, stripling then, was summoned to Hrothgar; They blessed and named him Dovahkiin…" Lydia smiled looking up at mighty Talos but frowned when she saw Elewiese's expression. "And now they've summoned me…"

Lydia understood. The implications of being summoned the same way as a man who had ascended to godhood were cosmic. Lydia was both humbled and honored to be at Elewiese's side. She could almost feel the history in the making.

Elewiese stood and dragged a lingering hand across the statue's base as she pulled away towards the monastery that was finally in sight. At the foot of the final set of stairs was the last of the stone effigies. It stated simply: The Voice is worship; Follow the Inner path; Speak only in True Need. Elewiese didn't quite understand that one; just that it seemed to coincide with a previous emblem's reference to Jurgen Windcaller. Regardless, they'd finally made it to High Hrothgar.

After leaving Klimmek's supplies in the offering chest atop the steps, Elewiese and Lydia pushed their way through the heavy ceremonial doors. They entered the stone foyer, the doors slamming shut behind them. The contrast between the icy, whistling wind outside and deafening silence of the monastery's interior was very noticeable. Every step they took echoed off the stone walls.

Elewiese slowed to a stop as she entered the main foyer proper. Four elderly men, all Nords and all wearing identical grey robes, stood in a line awaiting their arrival. Lydia fell to her knees and averted her gaze, but Elewiese continued her stride forward. One of the four monks stepped up to greet her, wearing the same somber expression that they all shared. "So…a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age."

Elewiese stood before them and curtsied as elegantly as she could. "Honored Greybeards, I am Elewiese. I came here to- Well, I am answering your summons, master." Her head hung low, and she did not meet their gaze until the monk spoke again.

"First, let us see if you truly have the gift. Show us, Dragonborn. Let us taste of your Voice."

Elewiese furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

The man remained calm and spoke gently. "Shout at us. Strike us with the power of your Voice."

Her eyes went wide. She remembered how the guard had remarked at her ability to Shout after slaying Mirmulnir. More specifically she remembered nearly injuring two city guardsmen. Did he really want her to subject these frail, old men to such power? "Master, I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not even sure I can control-"

The Greybeard merely held up a hand. "Do not be afraid. Your Shout will not harm us." He seemed so certain. Elewiese didn't want to, but it seemed they weren't budging until she demonstrated her power.

Sighing, she glanced back at her companion that still hung her head low. "Lydia." Her Housecarl looked up to her. "Cover your ears." She raised an eyebrow but obeyed.

Elewiese returned her attention to the Greybeards. She closed her eyes and concentrated, recalling the memories of Mirmulnir and his understanding of the word she held in her head. She inhaled deeply and felt a tug in her diaphragm as she projected her thoughts into her vocal chords. When she spoke, her voice was amplified beyond anything she'd ever yelled. The stone walls of the monastery shook as all at once Elewiese spoke the word "FUS!"

To her surprise, as the blast of air projected from her voice slammed into the monks, they were not thrown off their feet as expected. Instead they merely rebuffed slightly off balance, and wore similar pleased expressions. "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!" Elewiese rushed forward and clasped the monk's arm looking them all over for wounds.

He merely chuckled. "As I said, your Shout would not harm us." His fellow monks shared his smile. "More importantly, you have shown that you do indeed have the gift, Dragonborn. Welcome to High Hrothgar." He and the others all bowed in unison.

Elewiese glanced back to Lydia who seemed rattled from the Shout, arguably more so than the elderly monks. When she realized her Thane was looking at her however, she gave an encouraging thumbs up.

Elewiese returned her attention to the only monk that had addressed her thus far. "I am master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. You must have many questions."

She did. Elewiese had so many inquiries she wanted to cry. Only, none of them really mattered compared to the one question she'd carried all her life. The question that had haunted her youth. The question she thought she buried, that is until the moment people began calling her Dragonborn. "I only have one question, Master Arngeir."

Arngeir had to strain to hear the Dragonborn speak. He and the other Greybeards were shocked when the girl looked up from behind her auburn hair tears streaming from her strange eyes. "Is Akatosh my father?" Her lips trembled as the words passed over them.

The Greybeards shared a collective look before Arngeir returned his attention to Elewiese. "If you have cause to believe so, then yes, it is possible. Saint Alessia, Tiber Septim, the progenitors of the dragonblood dynasties, and more were all allegedly sired by Akatosh."

Elewiese's sight grew misty and she held a hand tightly over her mouth. She vehemently shook her head, letting loose a few more tears before running past the Greybeards and further into the monastery.

Lydia had been staring at her Thane in awe, this revelation taking her by surprise, but quickly got up to pursue her as she ran off after her. "Elewiese!" She bowed to the confused monks before jogging in the direction she had fled. It took a minute for Lydia to catch up, the design of High Hrothgar momentarily confusing her. Ultimately, it was the sobs that led her back to her Thane.

Elewiese sat in a windowsill, sniffling and watching the snowdrifts blow around on the ground outside like the ghosts of scaled serpents. She hugged her legs against her chest and breathed unsteadily. Lydia approached tentatively and knelt next to her. Again, Lydia found no words to comfort her Thane. A poet she was not. Instead, she simply leaned in and pulled the girl into the crook of her neck. At first, this served only to intensify Elewiese's sobs, but as the minutes passed, she slowly calmed down.

Elewiese had tried settling herself, thinking of anything besides the fact that her worst fear had come to pass. Like the fact that Lydia's skin was so soft. Or that her lips were centimeters away from her neck. It was an embarrassing thought, one that made the ears on top of her head twitch. Lydia felt her Thane's furry ears tickle her cheek and couldn't suppress her laugh. Elewiese pulled back to share a quick smile with her Housecarl before her demeanor fell once more. Lydia bit her lip before asking what was on her mind. "Your mother…the man she said saved her… It was Akatosh?" Elewiese merely nodded solemnly. Lydia shook her head, not understanding. "But…He saved her. Isn't that a good thing?"

The elf's brows furrowed, a light anger behind her red and gold eyes. "He may have set her free, but He didn't save her. My mother can't feed herself; she can't even dress herself without assistance because of what the Thalmor did to her. If He's a god, couldn't he have fixed her?" She sobbed again. "My mother's friends, the people who raised me told stories of her compassion and whimsical nature."

Lydia tried to imagine the woman that a god would deem worthy to sire a child with. "And you never experienced that growing up?"

Elewiese's eyes grew very distant. "There were times when I thought she was getting better. I would find her in the garden outside our home, tending to the plants. When she saw me, she looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. But they were fleeting moments, doomed to disappear."

Lydia again struggled for words. "I'm sorry."

Elewiese attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. "I tried to put as much distance between me and…my father. But here I am. Dragonborn…"

Lydia finally understood. Here was woman so opposed to her own nature that she'd been running from it her whole life. She got the feeling that consorting with a Daedric Prince and becoming a werefox was hardly the most sacrilegious things Elewiese had done to distance herself from Akatosh. And yet, all at once, destiny had reined her back in the moment she absorbed that dragon's soul outside Whiterun.

For a moment, Lydia felt sympathy for Elewiese's situation. Why hadn't Akatosh saved her mother's mind? How could anyone, even the gods, ask her to face this destiny? Hadn't she been through enough? "You could run," Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Far away someplace where destiny couldn't find you."

The elf laughed dryly and shook her head, much to Lydia's surprise. "Withering away in self-pity and loathing isn't really my style. I'll just have to find a way to follow this destiny, but on my own terms." She smiled a sad, determined smile that gave Lydia mixed emotions. She gestured for her Housecarl to help her up, and she did so.

Arngeir waited nervously with the other Greybeards. When Elewiese returned, she strolled up to him and bowed in apology. Lydia stayed back, kneeling and lowering her head once more. Arngeir stroked his beard and spoke gently. "We may not have the answers you want, Dragonborn, but we will never lie to you."

Elewiese nodded in understanding. "Thank you for your honesty masters, and I apologize for the way I reacted. I would be honored to learn what you have to teach me."

Arngeir's smile returned. "We are here to guide you, Dragonborn. What is it that you seek?"

Elewiese bit her lip, deep in thought. "I want to find out what it means to be Dragonborn."

Arngeir placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "The Greybeards have always sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood, just as we have with those who came before you." He used his free hand to gesture all around them. "High Hrothgar was constructed on the slopes of Kynareth's sacred mountain. Here we commune with the voice of the sky, and strive to achieve balance between our inner and outer selves."

She gulped, almost afraid to ask. "What is my destiny?"

"That is for you to discover. We can show you the Way, but not your destination. You have already taken the first steps of your journey by projecting your Voice into a Thu'um, a Shout, even without training. Now let us see if you are willing and able to learn." Arngeir glanced at one of the other Greybeards who nodded and approached where Lydia still knelt. She looked up to him as he offered her a hand, which she accepted, pulling herself up. "Master Einarth will escort your companion from the premises."

"What?" Elewiese rushed to Lydia's side and covered her defensively. "Why?"

"Every moment she is here, Dragonborn, she is in grave danger. We are not casting spells, like they do at the College of Winterhold. We are projecting our Thu'ums." Arngeir gestured to his fellow monks. "I am the only member of the Greybeards permitted to talk. The other's Voices are too powerful for anyone not trained in the Way to withstand. Even a whisper could kill you."

Elewiese understood what he was saying. She had no desire to put Lydia in avoidable danger, but she did not want her to leave. She'd grown attached to their relationship as Thane and Housecarl, and beyond that, she would most certainly call her a friend. She was about to open her mouth to refuse when she felt Lydia squeeze her hand. "It's quite alright, Thane. I shall return to Ivarstead and await your arrival."

Lydia saw the conflict in Elewiese's eyes, as well as the deflation in her posture as she relented. " _Fiiiiiine_ …" She and master Einarth walked Lydia towards one of the large ceremonial sets of doors before she hugged her without restraint. Lydia wasn't even embarrassed to return the embrace this time. "If you run into any danger, please return immediately."

"I'll be fine, Elewiese. You don't have to worry." They exchanged one more look before the doors began shutting, separating them. "Good luck." Lydia said. The ornate metal door closed with a thud.

Elewiese's shoulders visibly drooped. Master Einarth patted her back comfortingly and she gave him her most earnest smile. To the Greybeard's surprise, the Dragonborn looped her arm through his as she began escorting them back to the main foyer where the rest of the monks waited. When they returned, Einarth bowed to her in thanks and she returned the gesture.

"Good," Arngeir spoke again, calling back her attention. "Now we can begin." Arngeir started by teaching Elewiese the nature of Shouts and how they were merely words in the dragon language, but given the right knowledge behind them, one's inner voice or Thu'um could turn the words into powerful magic that could shape nature. The dragons had always been able to Shout as the language is intrinsic to their very being. There is no difference in the dragon tongue between debating and fighting. Shouting comes as naturally to a dragon as breathing, or speaking. He spun the tale of how in mythic times, when they were in great need, the goddess Kynareth granted all mortalkind the ability to speak as dragons do. For most people, long years of training were required to learn even the simplest Shout. But for Dragonborn, by their very birthright, the dragon speech is in the blood. This allows them to learn Words of Power, three of which unlocked the full power of a Shout, almost without effort.

Arngeir explained how Elewiese could also absorb the knowledge directly from slain dragon's soul. At this, her furry ears slumped slightly. Arngeir noticed this and inquired as to what was wrong.

"Master, is there another way?" Elewiese asked, causing the monk to raise an eyebrow. "To learn the meaning of Shouts." She explained. "For instance, how did you all learn?" She glanced around, even though there was no one but Greybeards to hear, and even went so far as to approach Arngeir so she could speak more quietly. "Master, I… I don't want to hurt dragons. They are beautiful, powerful creatures, and I think the fact that they're returning is wonderful." She studied the Greybeards and saw looks equal parts proud and uncertain.

Arngeir stroked his beard. "Well, as for us, we spend years devoting our concentration to even the simplest of words, unlocking its meaning through constant practice." He saw her disheartened expression. "You were given this gift by the gods for a reason. It is up to you to figure out how to best use it. There is no doubt the appearance of a Dragonborn at this time is not an accident. Your destiny is surely bound up with the return of the dragons."

Elewiese only further saddened. "You mean to say I have no choice in the matter?"

Arngeir held up a hand to calm her. "Follow your heart and focus on honing your Voice. Soon your path will be made clear."

She sighed deeply before nodding. "Okay, what's next?"

The Greybeards walked her through the process of learning new Shouts. Master Einarth spoke the next word of the Unrelenting Force Shout, "RO," which shook the walls and carved itself into the stone floor in front of Elewiese. She got that familiar and nostalgic feeling in her stomach again when she saw the script. The voice in her blood confirmed that this was indeed RO. Einarth then gifted her his understanding of the word. The feeling was barely a fraction of what she had felt when she absorbed the soul of Mirmulnir, but she now had a complete understanding of 'balance' in the dragon tongue.

The Greybeards took turns projecting holographic copies of themselves for Elewiese to train her new power with. She found that Arngeir was right. With more practice, she sharpened her voice, finding the words easier to pronounce and putting less strain on her throat. Each holographic monk stumbled before her Shout, much to Arngeir's approval. "Impressive. Your Thu'um is precise. You show great promise, Dragonborn."

"Thank you." Elewiese managed while trying to catch her breath. Shouting actually proved to be quite tiresome. She retrieved a handkerchief from her travel kit that she'd set aside and dabbed her forehead. "Now what?"

"We will now see how you learn a completely new Shout." Arngeir gestured towards his silent brethren. "Follow Master Borri and we will perform your next trial in the courtyard."

Elewiese glanced to the monk who bowed, signifying himself as Master Borri. She smiled and leapt to his side, looping her arm through his. Borri rumbled with a silent chuckle and led the way to the courtyard as she made musings about her training. "Shouts aren't like any other type of magic I've encountered. They don't so much draw on the forces of magic from Aetherius as they do one's very own body and the world around them. I wouldn't have thought mortals would be capable of such power…" She pinched her cheek with her free hand, not at all expecting an answer from the monk that still led her along.

They pushed their way through the smaller set of doors leading to the courtyard behind the monastery, Elewiese rambling along the entire way. Once in the clearing, Borri halted, making her raise an eyebrow. "Master Borri will now teach you Wuld, which means 'whirlwind'." Arngeir explained while lining up next to the other monks.

Master Borri held Elewiese's gaze for a moment before nodding encouragement. "WULD." He spoke at the ground. Again the stone obeyed and carved the dragon script lettering.

Elewiese stared directly at the word, breathing steadily and hearing the whispers of it in the back of her mind. "You must hear the word within yourself before you can project it into a Thu'um." She held the word in her mind and nodded again to Arngeir. "Approach Master Borri and he will gift you his knowledge of Wuld."

Master Borri bowed to once more before the flow of knowledge came. Elewiese opened her mind, accepting it, and understood 'whirlwind' like only a dragon could. When Borri was finished, she exhaled steadily.

Arngeir pat Elewiese on the back as the rest of the Greybeards mulled about. Borri approached a pair of poles jutting from the ground, one of which had some kind of button-activated mechanism on it. Master Einarth moved towards a closed gate a dozen meters or so away, adjacent from the posts Borri manned. A so far unnamed monk stood next to Borri, awaiting something. "Master Wulfgar will now demonstrate Whirlwind Sprint. Then it will be your turn." Arngeir nodded to his fellow monk. "Master Borri."

He smiled broadly at Elewiese. "Bex!" Borri pressed the button on the simple console in front of him.

The gate near Einarth opened and Master Wulfgar inhaled deeply. His stance changed to be more balanced, and his eyes crinkled in amusement as he saw Elewiese looking on in fascination. "WULD NAH KEST!" The snow burst at Wulfgar's feet and in the blink of an eye he was all the way down at the end of the courtyard, skidding to a stop past the gate, just as it was closing.

Elewiese's jaw hit the floor. These Greybeards were almost inhuman, they were so powerful. Arngeir tried not laugh at her expression as he led her along to the correct position. "Now it is your turn. Stand next to me. Master Borri will open the gate. Use your Whirlwind Sprint to pass through before it closes."

Elewiese looked to her feet where the imprint of Wulfgar's were stamped into the ground. The elf gulped, uncertain of herself. She saw Borri next to the gate controls give an encouraging nod and breathed deeply before shaking off her doubt. Again, she inhaled and focused only on the meaning of the word, whirlwind. She closed her eyes, contemplating on the dragons' knowledge and understanding of the world, rather than her own mortal perception.

"Bex!"

Elewiese opened her eyes and let her Voice flow from her soul, rather than her throat. "WULD!" Her body lunged forward by sheer will. Her elation at successfully using her new Shout was grand indeed, albeit short-lived. As she passed the gate, her footing became uneven. Elewiese tripped into a roll, stumbling along until her back slammed upside down into the stone slab at the end of the path. Snow fell from atop the slab, covering her almost completely.

The Greybeards all ran over, worry written on their faces. All at once, Elewiese exploded from the drift, jumping upright and sending snow everywhere while giggling uncontrollably. Even through the shivering and drying her face of the wet snow, she continued to laugh. Borri and Einarth sighed in relief, and Wulfgar shook his head chidingly. Arngeir's expression was equal parts worried and impressed. "Your quick mastery of a new Thu'um is... astonishing."

Elewiese wiped a loose tear from her eye, and spoke with a light chortle still. "I would hardly call that mastery."

Arngeir shook his you head. "You misunderstand. We'd heard stories of the abilities of Dragonborn, but to see it for myself…" The other Greybeards now shared his demeanor.

Elewiese dropped all semblance of humor and now grew nervous. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know how I do it. It just sort of happens…"

Arngeir gave her a reassuring smile. "Never apologize for being who you are, young Dragonborn. I would merely urge you to continue practicing and honing your Voice. You've a generous heart child, but do not let your easy mastery of the Voice tempt you into arrogance of power. That has been the downfall of many before you." He offered her a hand which she accepted gratefully and pulled herself up.

Elewiese wondered for a moment before speaking again. "What exactly is it that separates a 'Dragonborn' from other people?"

Arngeir thought on that. "Well, as you've seen, Dragons have the inborn ability to learn and project their Voice. What you have already learned in a few days took even the most gifted of us years to achieve. Dragons also are able to absorb the power of their slain brethren. Whether they are a gift or a curse has been a matter of debate down through the centuries, but some believe that Dragonborn are sent into the world by the gods, at times of great need." Arngeir paused for a moment. "We will speak more of that later, when you are ready."

Elewiese bit her lip. Clearly he was hiding something from her. She wanted to inquire further on her destiny, but Arngeir continued. "However, true mastery of the Voice can only be achieved when your inner spirit is in harmony with your outward actions. In the contemplation of the sky, Kynareth's domain, and the practice of the Voice, we strive to achieve this balance."

"Is that why you're helping me?" Elewiese asked. "To make sure I follow the right path?"

Arngeir strokes his beard nervously, as though he did not want to tell her what he had to say. "The Dragonborn is an exception to all the rules. You have received the ability to Shout directly from Akatosh and should not try to deny that gift. Your destiny requires you to use your Voice - why else would your Father have bestowed this power upon you? We therefore seek to guide you on the proper use of your gift, which transcends the restrictions which bind other mortals. If you remember to use your Voice in service to the purpose of Akatosh, you will remain true to the Way."

Elewiese was quiet a long time. "My Father…" She finally said, with venom in her voice. She looked up with anger in her gold and red eyes. "And if I said I hated Akatosh, and that I wanted nothing to do with him?"

They Greybeards looked to one another uncomfortable and bewildered. Arngeir set his jaw and looked back to her. "History will either mark you as a hero to be regaled in song or a curse to future generations. Or perhaps you will merely fade from memory altogether. It is in you to decide. Never forget that."

Elewiese's face softened, and her ears drooped in shame. "I am sorry, Master. I admire the philosophy of your Way of the Voice. It was rude to let my anger cloud my judgement." She bowed deeply before the Greybeards. "Please forgive me."

The monks all returned her bow. "It is of no consequence, Dragonborn." Arngeir went as far as to pat Elewiese on the head. She giggled and bit her tongue lightly. "You are now ready for your last trial. Retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in the ancient fane of Ustengrav." Elewiese raised an eyebrow, interested in the founding of the Greybeards. "He was the first to understand that the Voice should be used solely for the glory and worship of the gods, not the glory of men. Jurgen Windcaller's mastery of the Voice eventually overcame all opposition, and the Way of the Voice was born."

"Interesting." Elewiese retrieved her journal from her travel kit and wrote a new entry in her quest log. "Any danger in particular I should look out for while I'm there?"

"Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return." Arngeir states simply. The elf rolled her eyes but understood that this was a test. She was offered a bed for the night if she wanted to depart in the morning, but Elewiese refused. She he was eager to get on the road. More specifically, she desired adventure in which she could hone her new abilities.

The elderly monks escorted her back to the main entrance where she bowed to each of them individually. "Thank you for all you have done for me. I will return soon."

Arngeir made a strange gesture with his hand; raising his palm to the sky before making a fist and bring it in to his heart. "Sky above, Voice with." He bid her farewell.

And with that, Elewiese was gone, once more braving the cold as she began her descent of the Throat of the World.

* * *

Phew! Heya lads and gents. Just making a note saying this'll be the end of this batch of chapters but I'm working through the next few still. A quick note on lore however:

There are indeed several kinds of lycanthropy in the Elder Scrolls including werevultures and even weresharks :'D however werefoxes are slightly unprecedented, at least thus far in the series. Don't get me wrong, werewolves are badass, but our girl Elewiese puts brains above brawn any day, so I brought this form of lycanthropy into the series.

Lastly, Dragonborn are not children of Akatosh. He blesses them with the blood and souls of dragons, but there have been no demigods or children of the Divines and Daedra since the Merethic Era. But all the angst around Elewiese's past and her parents was just too delicious to pass up. I also wanted to make the Dragonborn more connected to the dragons than what was presented in the game. Makes for a better story, in my mind at least.

Anyway, more chapters coming soon guys so stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

An Elf Like No Other

* * *

Chapter 7 - Ending In Disappointment

* * *

Lydia sat near the hearth inside Ivarstead's inn, trying to ignore a local by the name of Bassianus. The ale they'd been served didn't quite have the impeding effect it did on her as it did this oaf. His pestering of her all afternoon was unceasing until he reached the point of inebriation that he'd dropped any semblance of coyness and propositioned her directly. "Come on, Housecarl." He hiccupped. "Let's hurry up and do it already so I can get back to my girlfriend."

A vein protruded from Lydia's brow. She was about to cleave the fool in two when she witnessed a leg brought up swiftly into the man's groin from behind. His expression was pained, silent horror, and he tipped over unmoving as the paralysis of his injury took effect.

Elewiese stepped over the idiot she'd kicked to get closer to the fire. Lydia was about to thank her when she noticed how heavily her Thane was shivering. She was thankful when her Housecarl retrieved a fur pelt to assist in her thawing, but was too cold to voice it. Although, they did share a laugh when Wilhelm discovered Bassianus on the floor and booted him from the inn for passing out drunk again.

Lydia rubbed Elewiese's arms, trying to warm her up as she regaled her with everything that'd happened in High Hrothgar. "Incredible." Lydia shook her head in marvel. "I never knew the practices of the Greybeards were so…complex."

Elewiese allowed one final shudder to pass through her form before the warmth finally settled into her bones. The elf nodded to Lydia in thanks who stepped away so she could spread their map out across a free table. "This is Ustengrav." She tapped a mark on her map some half way in between Morthal and Solitude. Lydia noted the way her Thane knit her brows. "We still need to head east to recover sap from the Eldergleam. Then I'd like to trek north to visit Windhelm and the college in Winterhold." Elewiese glanced between the map and her open journal spilling with quests and assignments. She sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. "Dammit. I think Skyrim will be tougher than I thought."

Lydia furrowed her brows. "My Thane, you don't have perform every task asked of you. You could just focus on what's most important to you."

Elewiese was surprised. She thought Thane's were supposed to be noble paragons who lead by example, performing tasks for the less fortunate or those in need. And yet, here Lydia was telling her to be selfish. Well, even if Thanes were just hypocrites who rested on their laurels and past exploits, that wasn't her. "Sorry Lydia," Elewiese chuckled. "But I'm the Dragonborn and a completionist at heart. If someone needs my help, who am I to sit idly by?" The Nord saw what she began to realize was the wood elf's signature smirk. "Besides, where's your sense of adventure, my friend?"

Lydia's lips turned up just slightly after hearing her Thane profess her selfless, adventurous nature. She realized then that there was no one in all of Tamriel she'd rather have been assigned to as Housecarl. Elewiese wasn't the stoic, broad-shouldered titan that Lydia had prayed for, but she was a hero through and through. Lydia raised a fist to her chest in salute and bowed her head. "By your orders, my Tha-" She cut herself off and thought for a moment before smiling brightly. "Lady Elewiese."

The Lady herself smiled wide at Lydia's enthusiasm. "Thank you for that, Lydia." She held her Housecarl's hand and gave it a light squeeze before using her own to stifle a yawn. "Now, whaddya say we get some sleep? We've got a long road ahead of us." Elewiese glanced over to the bar that Wilhelm was idly wiping down. "Wilhelm, my man. Two rooms for the night please."

The Nord stopped his scrubbing of the countertop and looked the two women over with a guilty expression. "I'm terribly sorry M'Lady. A couple of Redguard bounty hunters are passing through town and rented all but one room."

Elewiese facepalmed and groaned, lamenting the Aurbis's inability to cut her a break. "Please my Thane, take the last room. I'll be fine out here." Lydia gestured about the main hall of the inn while forcing a smile.

Elewiese shook her head vehemently. "Don't be ridiculous, Lydia. You can ummm… I suppose we could…" Her ears stood rigid atop her head and a smile formed on her lips as Elewiese said the last word in a barely audible whisper. "Share?"

Lydia turned as pale as the snow on the mountain. "I…wouldn't want to impose, My Lady." She began digging her heels into the ground as Elewiese handed a stack of septims to the blushing barkeep.

"It's fine, Lydia. Let's just get some rest." The elf quickly straightened her robes before striding…no sauntering into the suite. Her Nord companion raised an eyebrow and tentatively stepped into the room as well, closing the door behind her. Lydia set the pack on the table and Elewiese sifted through it, finding her nightgown. Looking to a rosy-cheeked Lydia, Elewiese smirked and cleared her throat. "Do you mind?"

The Housecarl's eyes widened. She was nervous to turn her back to her Thane, seeing as the last time Lydia did so while Elewiese was scantily clad she'd been hit by several wayward bedroom items. She obeyed, however, and spun away, even going as far as to cover her eyes. Lydia's throat grew dry as she listened to the rustling of fabric and clinking of armor. "Okay…"

Lydia turned and stood motionless, staring openly at the thin, purple gown that hugged the elf's petite frame. Thin straps held the dress up on her shoulders, and the hem of it just barely reached halfway up her thigh. The back had a cut running up from the bottom that her bushy tail could peek through. When Elewiese shifted her weight onto one foot and placed a hand on her hip, Lydia could just barely make out the bottom of the smalls she had fit her into just days before. Had her legs always looked so soft?

Lydia hardly noticed Elewiese walk up to her until she closed her agape mouth with her delicately warm hand. The Nord found her Thane's gold and red eyes irresistible to look away from. At least not until she spoke. "Feel free to get comfy as well." The elf's grin was wide enough to show her enlarged upper and lower canines.

Lydia suddenly felt very nervous being around the elf, but stripped of her steel armor regardless. Elewiese laid waiting in the lone bed, writhing in the comfy furs and never taking her eyes off Lydia. The Nord worked her way down to just her leather pants and loose undershirt. After blowing out the majority of the candles in the room she looked back to the bed. Elewiese was biting her lip and looked like she was trying hard not to laugh.

Lydia swallowed hard before sighing and joining the elf in the bed. She tried to stay as far on the edge as she could without falling to the floor. The longer she lay there though, the more inviting the warmth of the elf that lay beside her. It was like being back in the main hall, next to the hearth. The fire-like heat grew as Elewiese leaned in to breath into the Nord's ear. "Goodnight, Lydia." The Housecarl looked over to her Thane, their noses almost touching, but didn't respond. She watched as Elewiese gazed up and down her face, smiling at what she saw. "Lydia…?" She asked knowingly, one last time.

* * *

Elewiese was just fitting her traveling kit over her steel plate chest-guard as Lydia finished strapping on her final piece of armor. The Nord's fingers had fumbled several times while donning her armor. Her thoughts were so scattered, Lydia was slightly startled when Elewiese lightly grabbed her hand. Their eyes met, and Thane put Housecarl at rest with just a smile. "Last night doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, Lydia."

Lydia let the tension fall from her demeanor, and she smiled genuinely. She rubbed Elewiese's hand that she held with her thumb. "Thank you, my Thane."

Elewiese stood on her toes to peck Lydia on the cheek, then let go of her hand. "Good, now let's see about-"

"Let go of me!"

Lydia tensed, hearing the shout from the main hall, but what really concerned her was Elewiese's worried expression. "Shaudrey?!" The Thane rushed passed her Housecarl, throwing open the door and staring down the two bounty hunters in culturally Hammerfell clothes who were accosting a third Redguard, a lithe and pretty woman.

"What are you-" The man holding her by the wrist was distracted by Elewiese bursting into the room. Taking advantage of his carelessness, the woman twisted the bounty hunter's arm into a painful angle before slamming his head into the table. His companion lunged for her but was met with a blow to the throat from Elewiese. He staggered back, and before could recover, two blows to the knees dropped him to a bow where the elf swiftly brought her leg down to smash his head into the floor.

"Well done." Elewiese heard from the Redguard woman as she was dusting off her hands. Her hair was jet black, which nearly matched the hue of her dark brown eyes. She was fairly tall, even for a Redguard, and had skin the color of cocoa.

"And you." Elewiese laughed back. "Honestly though, Shaudrey, what are you doing here?"

Shaudrey put a hand on her hip. "I heard from my husband you were going off the reservation." Elewiese tried to argue but was cut off. "Nuh uh uh! I don't want to hear it Little Lady."

Elewiese groaned at hearing Shaudrey's longtime nickname for her. It was apt considering she towered over the elf by about a foot and a half. "I'm doing just fine in case you didn't notice." She gestured to the two Redguards still groaning on the ground. "Besides, I'm having fun with the level of difficulty Skyrim is presenting."

Shaudrey sighed deeply. "You know, most people try to make adventuring as easy as possible. Carrying the best equipment, traveling in numbers, etc. etc., all to ensure they don't die." Elewiese scoffed at the idea which the Redguard woman shook her head to. "That's why I brought you this." She brought out a small, wooden box with runes carved into the sides. The lid was bare save for a wax seal with the likeness of feminine hands holding a rosebud.

"That isn't…" Elewiese grabbed the box and cast the appropriate spell, causing the runes to glow a faint blue. She slid the lid off to reveal what appeared to be an incredibly ornate elven dagger. "Oh, it is. Shaudrey!" Elewiese huffed. "I wasn't expecting this for another week. Now adventuring will be too easy…" She frowned but was surprised when Shaudrey kicked one of the Redguards at her feet in anger.

"Dammit, Elewiese! Don't you know how worried we all get when you pull this 'I like a challenge' crap?" She grabbed the elf by the shoulders, forcing her to look the darker-skinned woman in the eyes. "It's a dangerous world. You have the tools to keep yourself safe. So please, for the sake of your friends- of your family! -use them." Shaudrey shook Elewiese with the last word.

A moment passed as the elf looked downcast. "I'm sorry." She said genuinely. Elewiese had no desire to cause the people who had done so much for her, who continued to do so much for her, such worry.

Shaudrey let out a breath it seemed she'd been holding in for a while now and pulled the girl into her embrace. "No, I'm sorry, baby." She gently stroked the girl's hair and ears, giggling when Elewiese began to purr. She pulled back and gestured over to Lydia with her eyes, still scratching Elewiese's ears. "Does she know?" Lydia had been standing back with a reserved demeanor, watching the two friends catch up.

The elf sighed in a pleased fashion at the attention her auricles were receiving. "Yes, she does. This is my Housecarl, Lydia."

Shaudrey dead stopped and backed up with her mouth agape. "Housecarl? You've been here a week and your already a Thane?!"

Elewiese held up her hands in innocence. "It wasn't like I planned it! However, it does play into the bigger picture of why I haven't returned to Cyrodil yet-" A stirring drew both of their attentions back to the two bounty hunters at their feet. Elewiese sighed in an irritated fashion. "Let's deal with these jackasses first."

Shaudrey nodded in agreement. "Hey!" She barked. The larger of the two jolted upright, growling, while his companion nursed the swelling bruise on his face. "What's your guys' problem?"

The first man gave a murderous look. "You bitch. It's a need to know issue and you don't need to know." Elewiese pulled the ornate elven dagger from the box. The brute noticed this and laughed. "And just what do you think you're gonna do with that little butter knife there?"

She and Shaudrey shared a knowing look before Elewiese squeezed the grip of the dagger. The base of the handle shot out and extended all the way to the floor with such force it cracked the stone surface. She adjusted her hold so that she was now holding her beloved spear by its center. Spinning quickly, she slapped the first Redguard with the flat side of the spear's blade. For all the man's bluster, he fell to the floor weakly, blood dripping from his mouth. Shaudrey snorted as Elewiese leveled her spear at the second bounty hunter's chest. "How about you? Feel like chatting?"

The smaller of the two Redguards was clearly smarter than his counterpart. "O-Of course!" He inched away from the point of the spear until his back hit the bar behind him. "What do you wanna know?"

Shaudrey crossed her arms. "What's the big idea grabbing a stranger like that?"

The man's only response was to look slightly guilty. His eyes widened in fear however when Elewiese began pressing on him again. "O-Okay, okay! We came to Skyrim tracking a fugitive from Hammerfell! We're offering a reward for any information on her capture."

Elewiese growled. "And you just assumed it was my friend?!" She reared back, ready to skewer the man.

He frantically waved his hands in front of himself. "W-Wait! The fugitive we're looking for has a scar on her face." The man gestured to Shaudrey. "She's off the hook!"

After a moment of tense silence, Elewiese turned her nose up at him before twirling the spear in her hand to collapse it back into what most would assume to be a normal elven dagger. "Get out of here," she growled. The man nodded quickly and scrambled to get up. He pulled his dazed companion up by his garbs. "And don't ever let me find you accosting anyone like again. Otherwise I won't be letting _you_ off the hook!"

And then they were gone. Elewiese took the blade's sheath from the box and secured it to the belt of her robes, replacing the steel dagger. She also made a quick note in her journal of the fugitive the bounty hunters were searching for, just in case. A chuckle from Shaudrey caused her to look up. "Now, can we go home?" Elewiese put most of her weight on her back foot, the way she did when was holding her ground against an attack. Shaudrey noticed this and furrowed her brow. "I guess not."

Elewiese dragged a bench out from under one of the hall's tables and sat on it, patting the free space. "Shaudrey, come sit and listen to what I have to say." She complied.

The elf began her tale by describing the events that brought her to Skyrim. She did not divulge her acceptance of death as not to alarm Shaudrey; also, Lydia was listening in. She did describe the dragon, however, and how her curiosity led her to Whiterun. Elewiese detailed her encounter with Mirmulnir and the revelation of her Dragonborn nature, which was confirmed and reinforced by the knowledge the Greybeards bestowed upon her just yesterday.

Shaudrey was quiet a long while after Elewiese had finished. "Dragons." She finally muttered. "Rumors have been flooding south from up here in Skyrim about their return, but there's been no concrete evidence yet; no sightings." The woman rubbed her chin in thought. "It's all true then?"

Elewiese nodded. "It is. Now do you see why I'm expanding our apothecary network? We need to be ready." Shaudrey nodded in agreement to this. "I've already acquired Arcadia's Cauldron in Whiterun. Now I'm making the round trip across the province, gathering what information on the dragons I can in the meantime."

The Redguard and the Bosmer were running numbers in their heads when Lydia finally piped up. She'd meant to stay quiet and let her Thane's business stay her own, but the mention of Arcadia, a woman she knew quite well, peaked her curiosity. "Ummm, Thane?" Elewiese looked back to her. "You purchased Arcadia's store?"

"Not so much purchased as partnered." She elaborated.

"Why?"

Elewiese turned nervous as Shaudrey looked to her questioningly. "I thought you said she knew."

The elf sighed. "About me, but not about _me_ me." Shaudrey merely facepalmed as Elewiese stood and approached her Housecarl. "Lydia, I'm…" She sighed. "How to explain this… I'm-"

"She's the Lady of the Elixirs." Elewiese's jaw dropped at Shaudrey's outright admittal of her identity.

"Shaudrey!"

"What? It's not that difficult to explain." She shrugged.

Lydia's eyes widened. Even a layman such as her recognized the nom de plume of such a distinguished alchemist, one who had made very prominent advances in apothecary medicine the past few years. " _The_ Lady?" She asked. Elewiese nodded after a moment's hesitation. "Wow…okay… Why are your acquiring apothecaries in Skyrim?"

Elewiese looked to her incredulously. "Lydia, there are Dragons about." She stated simply.

Lydia mentally facepalmed. "Oh."

"Even if I find them fascinating, your people are in terrible danger, not to mention the rest of Tamriel. They're going to need all the help they can get."

As grateful as the Nord was about the kindness Elewiese was showing her homeland, a thought occurred. "Why can't you just transport medicine from the facilities you already have?"

"Because we don't perpetuate wars." Shaudrey interjected coldly.

Lydia looked to Elewiese for an explanation. "If I send my stock across the border, it's just going to get robbed by either the Legion or the Stormcloaks." Elewiese stood from the bench and began pacing back and forth in the hall. "We maintain a delicate balance operating within the Empire, but we remain on top in no small part to my business partner, Max."

Shaudrey laughed. "She's putting it lightly. My husband knows his way around Imperial law and trade better than the bedroom, and that's saying a lot." Shaudrey sighed in content while Elewiese made a gagging expression. "Through a series of patents and negotiations, we and the Empire both profit in various ways off our advances, the only stipulation being we don't sell to any military force of any province."

The Lady of the Elixirs nodded before repeating a sentiment she'd shared with Lydia once before, only now it made sense. "I won't let what's mine enflame conflicts."

Lydia nodded in understanding. A force with the backing of an alchemist as advanced as the Lady of the Elixirs would be unstoppable, and the body count of battles her mixtures played a part in would be staggering. As little as Lydia apparently knew about Elewiese, she knew she didn't like unnecessary death. "So you're partnering with local alchemists to get medicine into the hands of the people?" The elf nodded in confirmation.

Shaudrey stood as well now and rung her hands. "This is too big an undertaking for you to handle alone, Elewiese. You need agents in Skyrim to help facilitate all this. Not to mention, if you really are Dragonborn, we need to search for anything related to the dragons."

Elewiese's eyes widened. "Shaudrey, no!" She was about to argue but Elewiese cut her off. "Listen, the Thalmor were at Helgen. Something this mythic will have their full attention. I know them. They won't hesitate to interrogate and kill anyone they cross paths with searching for dragon lore."

Shaudrey didn't need a lot of convincing. The Thalmor's actions spoke for themselves. "Okay, okay. You're right."

Lydia few confused by this talk of Thalmor. "I don't understand. Are you at war with the Aldmeri Dominion?"

Before Elewiese could answer, Shaudrey intercepted the inquiry and doubled down. "I don't know, Elewiese. Are we?" Her tone was one that said it was a hot topic between the two of them.

Elewiese addressed Lydia first. "The Thalmor have made attempts on the lives of a few of my people while trying to steal our formulas and trade secrets." She looked calmly into Shaudrey's eyes. "But the mission of the Lady of the Elixirs is to provide medicine and knowledge to people, not to go to war."

Shaudrey scoffed but relented. "Fine. I suppose we'll need to find a supply route through the Jerall Mountains and start branching into Skyrim." She looked up with a doubtful expression. "Mercenaries?" She asked skeptically.

Elewiese shook her head. "They'd sell us out at a discount." The elf made a painful sounding sigh. "I really don't want to put any of our apprentices in danger, but their loyalty would ensure our safety…" Elewiese thought deeply on this.

Shaudrey looked over to Lydia with a gleam in her eyes. "Loyalty, eh? How about the Housecarl?" Lydia and Elewiese looked to one another surprised. "She's well trained, she knows the area, and Housecarls would never betray their Thanes."

The Lady thought this over while Lydia spoke up. "How do you know so much about Housecarls?"

Shaudrey shrugged. "Takutas from Hammerfell are very similar. They swear fealty to someone and protect them for the rest of their lives."

Lydia hummed, interested that there was a similar type of warrior as her. Her attention returned to Elewiese when she addressed her. "Lydia, I know how important your duty is to you, but this isn't an order. This is me asking for your help. If you say no, nothing will change. We can continue as we have been. However, if you say yes, you will be helping me to help your homeland." She met her green eyes with her red and gold ones. "So, will you help me?"

It seemed like a simple choice, but Lydia gave the decision a fair amount of thought. Assisting her Thane was now Lydia's goal in life, and she was a true Nord at heart, but would she be able to protect her Thane with this arrangement. She glanced at impressive new weapon on Elewiese's belt and the vials on her bandolier that seemed to give her divine power. Lydia decided that her Thane was fully capable of protecting herself. "My Thane, it would please me greatly to assist my homeland," Elewiese let out a sigh of relief that she could count on Lydia. "But I do worry for your safety."

The Lady of the Elixirs noted the similar look Lydia wore to the one Shaudrey had been wearing minutes ago. She sighed. "Shaudrey, how soon can you get my shield up here?"

The Redguard grinned wickedly. "Ten days, if I'm feeling fast enough."

"And tell Lydia here what danger I'll be in when I have all my gear."

Shaudrey smirked and clasped a confused Lydia on the shoulder. "Let me put it this way. If it wants to harm Elewiese when she's fully equipped, it won't be able to." Both Elewiese and Shaudrey laughed at this, but Lydia didn't seem as convinced.

"Hey," the Thane grabbed her Housecarl's hand and stood on her tippy toes to give her a kiss on the cheek. This time Lydia did blush as Shaudrey was present and gave them a knowing smile. "I'll be fine. Okay, Lydia?"

The Nord woman let out a steady breath before returning the smile. "Okay, Elewiese."

The three of them exited the tavern. Elewiese pulled out her map and went over the route she'd be traveling as well as any tasks she'd be performing. "In three days' time, I'd like to be in Winterhold. If the College there doesn't have any information on dragons, I'll just have to hope retrieving that horn as part of my induction into the Greybeards will loosen their lips."

Lydia hefted her pack beside Shaudrey who was tucking a letter for Max from Elewiese as well as the Arcadia's Cauldron contract into her satchel. "Okay, once we're finished showing Lydia here the ropes in Cyrodil, it'll be back to Skyrim for the both of us to meet up with you in Whiterun, ten days' time." She giggled when Elewiese reached up behind her and grabbed her neck, bringing her forehead down to meet with hers, a gesture of friendship from Hammerfell she'd shown her. "Stay safe Little Lady."

"You too." She let Shaudrey go and turned to Lydia. The Nord wasn't even ashamed to return the hug she received next. Elewiese watched the both of them cross the bridge south of Ivarstead and tried not to let the empty feeling in her chest overwhelm her. She took a deep breath and turned her gaze northward.

* * *

Elewiese traveled at a restless and fast pace. She swung east from Ivarstead to the Eldergleam Sanctuary. With the help of a frequenter to the shrine, a prayer to Kynareth produced a sapling that fell from the ancient tree, sparing it from any harm. Using Nettlebane, Elewiese retrieved enough sap from the divine gift to ensure the Gildergreen's revival. In addition, the sap had a strange effect on Nettlebane, infusing the blade with a strange form of nature magic Elewiese had never seen. It was strange enough to warrant an appraisal by an expert, but in any case, she moved on, sap stowed safely in her pack.

Next stop was Windhelm. What with it being the home city of the rebellion, Elewiese went under a great deal of scrutiny to gain entrance. An elf showing up in the middle the night with daggers, lock picks, and a pack full of valuables? The guards had already made up their minds as to her character. Luckily for her, the rebels were a lot more corruptible than the noble Stormcloak army was made out to be. A hefty bribe to the gate guard earned her entrance. "Stay out of trouble, elf." It wasn't five seconds after his accusatory comment that Elewiese managed to find some trouble. After rendering two Nord men who were harassing a Dunmer woman just inside the gates unconscious, she felt an eerie sense of déjà vu about what had happened with Shaudrey a mere day prior. Shrugging off the feeling and accepting the dark elf's thanks, Elewiese roamed about the city searching for the city's resident alchemist. In the course of her search, she came upon the scene of a grisly murder; what she soon learned was only the most recent. Appalled at the soldiers' disinterest in protecting the citizens of the city, Elewiese spent a day tracking the serial murderer, and with the help of the city's steward & the court wizard she managed to find the culprit. Calixto Corrium, who seemed an average enough fellow when Elewiese took his tour, clearly had deeply seated issues about his sister's death. His necromantic scheming was put to end, however, when Elewiese caught him in the act, about to take another life, and drove her knife through his heart.

The next morning, she visited the White Phial. The store's owner, Nurelion, and his apprentice, Quintus, had received Arcadia's letter and were eagerly awaiting her arrival. They didn't need much convincing to partner with the Lady of the Elixirs, but in stubborn Altmer fashion, Nurelion demanded something in return. He asked that Elewiese retrieve the legendary White Phial from a crypt to the west, as he was too old and frail to make the journey. Elewiese of course knew all about Curalmil. As ancient as his discoveries were, they still formed the cornerstones of modern alchemy. He was as much a pioneer as Elewiese, and obtaining his signature work, the White Phial, would please her greatly. She too accepted the terms of Nurelion's condition. Quintus was relieved his master would not be subject to any danger by delving into trap-filled dungeons and signed the Lady's contract alongside Nurelion. She promised that they'd hear from her and her partners soon, and set out from there. She performed a few more tasks around town, and a few called for her to be named a Thane of Windhelm, but Elewiese waved them off replying she had much to do. Furthermore, she doubted the high and mighty Ulfric Stormcloak would stoop to honoring someone else during _his_ time of triumph, warring with the Empire.

Buying a horse in Windhelm proved a worthy investment. On her third day of travel, Elewiese passed the glorious statue of Azura and arrived in the pitiful hamlet of a town that was Winterhold. She paid homage to Jarl Korir who seemed equal parts displeased and unsurprised that she was here for the College. Elewiese asked if there was any assistance she could provide for Winterhold, to which he instructed her to recover an artifact that might garner interest from the other holds; the Helm of Winterhold. She agreed to find it, but Korir didn't seem to be holding his breath. Elewiese helped whomever she could in the hold and even purchased a familiar looking coral claw with the same design as that which opened a puzzle door in Bleak Falls Barrow, before ascending the steps to the College on the far end of town.

Elewiese popped her neck and downed one of her Magus Elixirs, expecting to be tested. She wasn't wrong. A high elf named Feralda barred her entry into the college questioning her motives. Elewiese explained that she sought membership and information the college might contain to help her quest of unraveling the secrets of Aurbis, the universe. Impressed both with her goals and obvious aura of magicka, Feralda agreed to let Elewiese inside. She met with Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard of the College, who inducted her and gave her a tour of the school grounds. Elewiese made the casual mention of being a representative of the Lady of the Elixirs and inquired if the College would be interested in partnering with the Lady. Mirabelle was surprised and stated the school ordinarily relied on itself for its alchemical needs. However, an offer from such an accomplished alchemist warranted the Archmage's opinion, so she would ask him when he was free. Making her way up to the Arcanaeum, Elewiese met with a disgruntled albeit passionate Orsimer named Urag gro-Shub who maintained the library. Showing respect to the college's impressive collection seemed to put her on his good side. She purchased materials on Nordic culture, archaic Nord burial practices, and of course dragons. Elewiese learned what she could of the Dragon War to supplement what Farengar in Whiterun had mentioned of it.

Oddly enough, the more Elewiese learned of the dragons, the angrier she got. Everything she read seemed to reference the cruelty of the dragons, but it was the mortal dragon priests who became corrupted and enslaved mankind. The dragons were only as guilty as the nature of mortals. They did not deserve the cruel eulogy described in these books any more than they did the assumed hostility at their return… … …right?

Elewiese sighed and pinched her eyes together. _Why am I siding with the dragons? I'd like to think it's because I've been on the road too long and I'm not thinking clearly, but I doubt that's the case… Is it because I'm Dragonborn?_ The thought unsettled her. She didn't want to abandon her mortality, not if what was written in these books were true. Shaking her head and thanking Urag, Elewiese left the Arcanaeum and spent the night in her provided quarters. She departed from Winterhold in the morning.

It was a full day's ride to reach Morthal. Elewiese opted to head south, passing by the beautiful depiction of Azura once more before swinging directly east. She was accosted once or twice on the road but made quick work of any thieves or bandits. She cut through a mountain pass and across some marshy terrain as a shortcut, arriving in Morthal just in time to find a mob of worried villagers demanding answers from the town's steward. To Elewiese, it sounded as though they were uncertain of what exactly it was they were even afraid of. Over the past couple days, she'd noticed the rumors of the dragons' return circulating further and further in Skyrim, and beyond she imagined.

Despite the elf's desire to maintain a focus on her main quest, her damnable curious nature got the better of her. What started off as a simple inquiry of a burned out building in the middle of the village evolved into a full blown crusade to kill an ancient vampire whose coven was bent on subduing Morthal. Any other adventurer would have had their work cut out for them, taking on an entire pack of the undead, but Elewiese was more irritated than anything else. Movarth Piquine was completely befuddled when the Dragonborn muttered some nonsense about keeping a schedule before beheading him. Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone was very pleased when Elewiese returned with the vampire's head, and declared her a Thane of Morthal on the spot, not even asking the elf her opinion on the matter, much like Balgruuf had in Whiterun. Elewiese facepalmed at having found herself in the exact same predicament again but breathed a sigh of relief when Idgrod informed her Morthal had no Housecarls in waiting. The newly appointed Thane informed the Jarl of the urgency of her quest however, and the two agreed to come to an arrangement at a later date.

Elewiese was beat tired after leaving the Jarl's longhouse and spent the night at the Moorside Inn. Despite nearly murdering quite possibly the most annoying bard she'd ever met, it was a relatively restful night; no dreams. She spent the early morning introducing herself to Lami, the proprietor of Thaumaturgist's Hut, and the foremost expert in alchemy native to Skyrim. Nurelion in Windhelm may have had her beat in age and knowledge, but Lami had been teaching travelers and alchemists across the province for longer than Elewiese had been alive. This, added with Lami's shock at her being the Lady of the Elixirs, amused Elewiese greatly. The alchemist didn't take much convincing to join the Lady's growing network after hearing about the proposed sharing of unique and rare ingredients. The two masters of the trade shook hands, and Elewiese departed with yet another contract in hand.

The elf turned her eyes north after tucking the parchment into her kit, eager to reach her intended destination. Elewiese paid Jonna, the landlady of the inn, to keep her horse hitched & fed, and then she was off to Ustengrav.

* * *

"Yuck." Elewiese stated, wiping a mixture of slaughter fish and frostbite spider blood from the tip of her spear. The marshes were indeed as treacherous as Falion of Morthal mentioned. She used a corner of the robes belonging to a necromancer she'd just killed to clean her blade of the filth. Elewiese just walked into view and the Dunmer ordered his zombie, a bandit by the look of him, to attack her. She effortlessly disarmed the corpse and flung its war axe straight into the neck of the mage, severing his head completely. The zombie disintegrated into ash.

Elewiese glanced at the mage's body once more before descending the steps into the crypt. It seemed necromancers had taken up residency in the tomb of a Greybeard master. She ground her canines against her teeth and shook her tail defiantly. That would absolutely not do.

Elewiese flexed her muscles and still felt the strength of her Gladiator Elixir flowing through her veins. When she passed into the entry chamber of the crypt, she discovered two more necromancers staging mock battles with animated dead to practice their mediocre spells on. Elewiese rested her spear on her shoulder and put her fingers to her lips. A loud whistle echoed through the cavern and all eyes turned towards her. "Do you guys even know the meaning of the word 'disrespectful'?" The necromancers' only response was to growl menacingly and approach as they sent their undead forward. "I guess that's cause for a lesson then." Elewiese smirked and held her spear aloft.

What followed appeared to be a deranged yet skillful series of jabs, twirls, and flurries that resulted in two dead mages & several piles of ash. Elewiese was sifting through their pockets when her furry ears twitched, a commotion drawing her attention to a side passage. She rushed down some stairs and crouched when more enemies came into view. Two more mages were out of breath and wide eyed. Elewiese wondered what could have happened to scare two necromancers of all things when an ancient Nord battle axe cleaved into the chest of the first mage. His companion ran towards the elf that ducked into the shadows, only to be shot in the back, falling dead at her feet, an arrow piercing his torso. Elewiese caught a quick glance around the archway and sighed. Sure enough, draugr.

Stupid, _stupid_ necromancers. Elewiese was unsure if the mages raised these undead and simply couldn't control them, or if they awoke because of a disturbance the mages caused. Probably a combination of both. Either way Elewiese now had one more obstacle in her way. Probably several, on second thought.

She stood and emerged from the shadows twirling her weapon. The hilt of the spear slammed into the floor with a thud, drawing the attention of the draugr. "If I asked you guys to just go back to sleep, would you?" Elewiese asked half-heartedly. They growled and spoke in an ancient tongue before advancing on her. She shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Elewiese was walking casually towards the undead group when a larger draugr stepped forward. While she was busy sizing him up, the corpse puffed up its chest and Shouted, " _ZUN HAAL VIIK!_ "

The weapon flew from Elewiese's hand, off to her right. "What the-" A sword was thrust at her, but she managed to bat it away with her steel plate gauntlet. "Whoa! Okay guys, time out." The draugr continued to step closer. Elewiese's head stormed with a lightning fast mental conversation.

 _Okay so undead can Shout now? Makes sense, I guess. This is a Greybeard tomb. But I remember the draugr in Bleak Falls Barrow speaking the same language. Oh! It's the dragon language! I thought it sounded familiar. *smack, smack* Will you two shut up and focus on the problem at hand?_ _Right, undead trying to kill me. What to do? Area paralysis? Not enough magicka without a Magus Elixir in my system. There's oil at my feet. Yeah, set myself on fire;_ fantastic _idea. *smack* I just need to knock them off their feet. I just need-_

Elewiese was brought out of her thoughts by literally facepalming herself. She planted her feet and inhaled deeply before Shouting back at the large draugr who disarmed her. " _FUS RO!"_ Her Shout knocked the three smaller undead off their feet completely and stumbled the largest. When he looked up again the elf had retrieved her spear and leveled it at his throat. Elewiese ran him and two other draugr through completely, making for a nice undead shish-kebab. The last one did not last long after that.

Elewiese was waving the dust the undead had stirred up from her face when she remembered Master Arngeir's advice.

 _Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return…_

She sighed, recalling the internal argument she'd been having. "I think too much." Elewiese said to no one in particular while sheathing her spear, now a dagger, in its holster.

Pushing a set of wooden doors open, Elewiese felt the strength in her arms weakening. She clucked her tongue pouted slightly, turning her attention to her bandolier. She hadn't restocked since Windhelm and was down to just two Rogue and two Magus Elixirs. Breaking in her spear meant using up all her Gladiators.

She tapped back and forth on a blue vial and green vial. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a skeever by the toe…" Once finished, she settled for the green vial, downing its contents and shivering as her sense were sent into overdrive.

Elewiese passed through a dining hall of sorts, sticking to the shadows and catching any wandering draugr by surprise, wanting to avoid direct confrontation. She passed into a large cavern and explored it extensively. At a far end of the room were stairs leading up to a perch. Reaching the top of the stairs, Elewiese felt her weight shift and immediately dove forward. Flames shot up from where she'd been standing a split second later.

The commotion drew a skeleton's attention and went over to investigate. Elewiese smirked as she erupted from her hiding spot behind some rubble and kicked the reanimated idiot onto the floor trap. Whatever magical force held the skeleton together could not withstand the intense heat and crumpled into a pile of bones. She was giggling and snorting at that for a full minute, even through a simple battle with yet another skeleton.

The perch ended with a dead end, but a glint in the wall caught Elewiese's keen eye. Through the rubble, she could spot a corpse clutching the handle of a chest. Must have been important to die next to it. There would be no getting through the rubble so she instead scanned her surroundings. A partially collapsed stone catwalk lead to a doorway that appeared to lead into the alcove. Glancing below, she spotted a bunch of benches facing towards a throne occupied by a skeleton. Raising an eyebrow, Elewiese kicked a pebble down onto its head, but it didn't move. Shrugging, she moved back in the direction she came from as it offered a spot to jump to the first pillar that suspended the catwalk. She leapt up onto the platform and rounded the pillar, eyeing the next jump. Way too far for a leap, unless…

Elewiese thought back to High Hrothgar and all she'd learned there. She looked down below, contemplating the nasty fall, before shrugging. " _WULD!"_ Her body shot forward, and this time she was ready. She planted her feet firmly, skidding to a stop inches before she would've face planted into the pillar like before. Looking back, she smirked at the chasm she'd crossed, a feat mortals could perform.

Her elation was cut short by an arrow that embedded into the pillar, just next to her head. She twirled around, bewildered, to find the skeleton that had been sitting in the throne standing and aiming a bow at her. "Dude, not cool." She stated incredulously. She yanked the arrow free from the pillar and drew the wooden bow on her back. She returned the arrow to its sender, nailing the boney bastard right between its empty eyes.

Rounding the pillar, Elewiese once again used Whirlwind Sprint to cross the second distance. She followed the path until coming upon the long dead adventurer and his stash. She pilfered the chest of valuables; a sizable amount of gold and a modified lightweight orichalcum chest-guard. Elewiese closed the chest and winked to the fallen adventurer as thanks.

Backtracking through the passage, Elewiese slid down the angled walls and rolled into a landing. She took in the expanse of the cavern, notably the grove at the bottom, and spotted a familiar looking effigy. Her eyes went wide and she began eagerly jogging down the rocky edge that spiraled lower into the grove.

She glanced at the beautiful pond that mirrored the image of the tree and cavern ceiling above before approaching the Word Wall. Elewiese reached the center of the wall's curvature and knelt. Inhaling, she closed her eyes and listened to the voice in her blood that was becoming more and more familiar.

 _Noble Nords; remember these words of the hoar father: 'It is the duty of each man to live with courage and honor lest he fade, forgotten into darkness.'_

Elewiese opened hers eyes to study the wall more closely. One word in particularly seemed to call out to her, repeating over and over in her mind. " _Feim_ …" she muttered to herself, running a hand over the inscription. She had no inkling of its significance yet, but if the Greybeards spoke true, she would come to understand it with practice and contemplation.

 _Or if I absorb the soul of another dragon…_ , she thought sadly.

Picking herself up and hurrying back up the cliff side, Elewiese crossed the chasm on a narrow, naturally formed bridge. Yet another undead skeleton spotted her crossing the bridge and took aim with its bow. Elewiese saw it as well and shouted as it fired. " _FUS RO!_ " The force of her voice splintered the arrow out of midair and slammed into the creature, scattering its bones across the upper parapets.

Elewiese was now free to study the next puzzle of this ancient Nordic tomb. Three stone tablets with etchings lay haphazardly before her with a clear pathed to a closed gate on the far wall. Make that three gates. Elewiese walked forward to study the inscription further, but it glowed red. She jumped back, placing a hand on Nettlebane, but all that happened was the first gate opened. A split second later, the glow the etchings produced died, and the gate slammed shut.

Elewiese raised an eyebrow and walked forward. Again, the first tablet glowed and the first gate opened. Continuing on, she discovered that the second and third tablets opened their corresponding gates as well. Giggling, she returned to the start. Elewiese then sprinted ahead past all three tablets and watched as the gates all rose. However, it quickly became clear she wouldn't make the distance, even at full speed, as the first gate was already falling.

Time seemed to slow as Elewiese's foot slammed down. The gate was already a third of the way closed, but she knew what she needed to do. " _WULD!_ " The distance was closed in a split second, but to stay standing would mean banging her head into the gate. To avoid this, Elewiese threw her feet out in front of her and began skidding across the stone floor. She was quickly losing momentum but was already committed to the action. The gates began closing behind her.

 _Slam. Slam!_ She came to a stop. _SLAM!…_

…Elewiese's whole body was tensed, and she had both eyes held tightly closed. Cracking one, she discovered she was in fact still alive. The elf groaned at the close call, noting how the gate had fallen not an inch above her head. She quickly and worriedly reached up to feel if her ears had been severed but felt the furry auricles twitch in her hands, allowing her a sigh of relief. Picking herself up, she dusted off her tail and clothes before continuing down the passage.

The next room she came across disturbed her deeply. Recognizing the floor based traps for what they were, just like the ones before, Elewiese sighed deeply. "Seriously?" The entire floor was rigged to shoot flames. Luckily, this section of the tomb seemed to have encountered some underground tremors in the past. Collapsed columns and walls spilled debris throughout the room, providing areas that were safe to jump to and from. Being an acrobat of no small talent, and with a Rogue Elixir augmenting her agility, Elewiese traversed the room with relative ease. That is until she came across the giant spiders.

The back half of the room which was obscured by the debris was now visible and coated in webbing. Elewiese's leaping about unknowingly awoke a giant frostbite spider and two of its ilk, all whom descended from the ceiling. "Seriously?" She grumbled again. Elewiese was quick to unsheathe both her blades and sever the two front legs of one of the smaller spiders, stopping it short. She tried keeping the body of the wounded spider in between her and the other small one, but in its eagerness to eat her, it climbed right over its pal. Elewiese saw what it intended and ran at the wall just behind her. She scaled the wall as much as her momentum would allow before pushing off and somersaulting. She managed to extend her spear while turning and slammed the blade down, driving it not only through the head of the second spider, but the first as well.

The giant spider must've been the momma, because it charged Elewiese in an enraged fashion before she could work her spear free. Smirking, Elewiese abandoned her spear and decided to use its rage to her advantage. She began retreated back the way she came, still jumping from safe zone to safe zone. The frostbite spider was much less careful. Elewiese laughed as she reached the far end of the room and turned to admire the show. The giant spider shrieked and turned, forgetting all about the elf as it was engulfed in flames that shot from the floor. Elewiese's humor was cut short as she gagged at the smell of the roasting spider.

Soon it was dead, and Elewiese was free to leap past its still burning corpse. She collected her spear, retracting the handle so it was once again a dagger. Hacking her way through the cobwebs at the end of the room to reach the door resulted in a mouthful of the dusty silk for Elewiese. After sputtering for several moments, her gaze turned upward towards whatever cosmic deity was getting their kicks off with her. "Seriously?!" She yelled a final time.

She kicked her way through a wooden door to reveal a short passage leading to another iron gate. She yanked the chain next to it, ready to be done with this stupid quest, and this stupid dungeon, and all its stupid inhabitants.

Elewiese's irritation at this whole sordid adventure was momentarily put on hold. As she descended the stairs, several stone eagle statues emerged from the water. Their craftsmanship and that of the murals on the walls was beautiful, indicating this as the sanctum of the entire tomb. Sure enough, at the end of the path, a sarcophagus lay on a rise. Just as Arngeir had described, its sides were carved with intricate pictures and dragon script, and jutting from the lid was a hand holding…a note?

Elewiese stopped and tilted her head. She ran forward, completely ignoring the two slain draugr at the foot of the sarcophagus, and snatched up the note from where the horn was supposed to be. She read it quickly.

 _Dragonborn,_

 _I'll bet you're wondering just where in the world that silly little horn could be. I need to speak to you. Urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I can give it to you, personally._

 _\- A friend_

Elewiese's hands dropped to her sides and she looked around pathetically. "You've gotta be freaking kidding me."

* * *

Lore Talk -

So full disclosure: there's no such thing as Takutas from Hammerfell (warriors similar to Skyrim Housecarls), at least insofar as we know in the lore to date. I just made them up. But come on. A mainly warrior based people within a class based society. I would be highly surprised if ES6 takes place around Hammerfell and we don't see something like a Housecarl, but since I'm the first to come out and say it, I claim to be the visionary! If you're curious I just used a play-on word of Japanese for 'protector', Purotekutā.

Secondly, you might be asking why our girl didn't swing North after Winterhold to visit Dawnstar as well. BECAUSE THIS GAME IS FREAKING HUGE GUYS. :'D If I took her to Dawnstar, she definitely would've ended up solving their nightmare problem and probably ended up with another Thaneship. I'm probably going to do another series that connects to this one but solely goes over Elewiese's choices in the daedric quests. Add to that separate short stories for the College and Companions questlines (not Brotherhood or Thieves Guild though [you'll see why]). It's just such a huge game guys, and I wanna stick to her being the Dragonborn and wanting to keep Skyrim safe from the dragons.

Anyways, thanks for giving it the time ladies and gentlemen, and keep on reading on! ;)


	8. Chapter 8

An Elf Like No Other

* * *

Chapter 8 – An Uninvited Houseguest

* * *

The defeated and glum demeanor Elewiese wore as she drudged through the gates of Whiterun raised the brows of many a guard and townsfolk, though none openly approached to ask what was wrong. In truth, that was a comfort in and of itself. Her irritation at the sleight of hand in Ustengrav had fueled her sprint back to Morthal, where she picked up her horse and rode, furiously, all the way to Whiterun. A much needed reprieve came in the form of some bandit highwaymen at the Valtheim Towers who had the gall to levy a toll on her in order to pass. Elewiese took her time obliterating each and every one of them after imbibing a Magus Elixir.

She had mulled over the idea of making straight for Riverwood to slap this _friend_ , whomever they were, into Oblivion. Elewiese had a schedule to keep, however, and opted for Whiterun instead. That being said, the sun's position suggested she had a few hours before Shaudrey and Lydia returned.

The marketplace seemed especially busy today, notably Arcadia's Cauldron. Elewiese saw Jon Battle-Born holding the door open for Carlotta & young Mila, and caught a glimpse of several more people inside. Elewiese didn't want to be a bother to Arcadia while she had so many customers to deal with, so she spent a half hour haggling with some of the other merchants, unloading all the loot she had gathered on her journey. By the time she walked out of War Maiden's her coin purse was visibly bulging.

 _Hmmm. I might want to start investing in more than just apothecary stores,_ Elewiese thought to herself. She caught a glimpse of Nazeem exiting Arcadia's store looking pleased with himself. Nothing new there, but the glimmer in his eye as he looked back at Arcadia's Cauldron said he was more pleased with the service he'd received than his usual self-congratulations. Pushing her way through the doors, Elewiese took in the setting of the shop.

Not much had changed. Fewer potions lined the shelves, and scuff marks on the floor suggested many had been through recently. Carlotta was rubbing her daughter's back on the bench in the corner as she coughed. A tired and stray-haired albeit very happy Arcadia was finishing up with helping the Bosmer, Anoriath. "Be sure to drink the entire draft in one go for it to take effect."

"Sure thing, Arcadia. Thanks again." Anoriath paid for the potion and nodded to Elewiese, his sister elf, on his way out.

"Now, onto the little one-" She noticed Elewiese. "Oh! My Lad- I mean, Thane Elewiese! A pleasure to see you always."

The elf smiled to the shopkeep. Having placed her belongings and armor in the stairwell, Elewiese finished tying an apron around her waist, then knelt before Carlotta and her daughter. "Don't mind me, Arcadia. What do you say we see to your last patient?" She nodded in response.

"You're working here, Thane Elewiese?" Carlotta asked.

She nodded. "Arcadia recently took me on as an apprentice. Isn't that right master?"

Arcadia stiffened before laughing awkwardly. "Of course! I mean, yes, my pupil- errr student."

Elewiese gave her sly grin before looking back to the girl directly in front of her. "Hello Mila."

The girl blushed and smiled. "Hi."

"That's quite the cough you have there. Are we running a fever?" She placed the back of her hand on the girl's forehead.

"Her temperature's fine, and the healer said her scrying revealed nothing wrong with her physically." Carlotta stated worriedly.

Elewiese confirmed Mila's skin was not hot and hummed in thought. "Nothing wrong physically… Would you mind standing, my dear?" She offered the girl a hand and pulled her up. Elewiese then turned her around and held a simple illusion spell in her hand to amplify sound. She held the spell up to her pointed ear (luckily, she'd remembered to revert to her normal form, as most in Whiterun knew her as a simple elf) and pressed her ear against Mila's back. "Breathe as deeply as you can, please."

Mila did so, inhaling and exhaling several times for Elewiese, coughing sporadically every few times. Finally, Elewiese told her she could stop and sat her back down next to her mother. "Verdict?" Arcadia asked.

Elewiese nodded. "Definitely something in there. Tell me Mila, have been playing in water recently?"

The girl nodded. "Lars, Braith, and I were down by the water near the main gates the other day."

"Mila! That water is filthy!" Carlotta scolded.

The girl hung her head low but perked up when Elewiese giggled. "So, a cough resulting from a polluted water source. Thoughts?" She asked the older alchemist, as to remain in character as Arcadia's apprentice.

The older Imperial thought hard for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Lungworm."

"Well done, master." Elewiese praised her genuinely.

Mila looked frightened. "There's a worm in me?"

Elewiese patted her hand reassuringly. "No, no dear, not at all. It's a bacterium that thrives in the environment inside the lungs, not an actual worm."

"Is it dangerous?" Carlotta asked.

"It can be. Luckily we all care about Mila here too much to let anything happen." Elewiese shook the girl's nose playfully, and she giggled. "Normally there'd be a long period of drinking this gross sludgy potion every day for several months, but a recent breakthrough from the Lady of the Elixirs revealed a new treatment method." Elewiese stood and nodded toward the alchemy table. "Arcadia, could you come show me how this one is done?"

Arcadia understood immediately that it was in fact her who would be learning and followed to watch. Not five minutes later, Elewiese returned with a ground up blend of herbs. Channeling magicka into her fingertip, she produced a small flame to set them ablaze. "Inhale the smoke, my dear, as deep as you are able."

Mila did so for about a minute. Every few times, she coughed into a rag Elewiese provided, producing a green mucus-like substance. Elewiese took the rag, set it aflame, and placed it into a waste bin. "Better?" She asked.

Mila inhaled deeper and with much more ease than she had all afternoon, nodding excitedly. "Thank you."

Elewiese bit her tongue and winked to the young girl before addressing her mother. "Two more treatments of this tomorrow and the day after and she'll be right as rain."

Carlotta nodded in understanding and looked to Arcadia. "How much do I owe you?"

"Let's just put that on my tab, Arcadia." Elewiese interjected.

Carlotta was stunned. "I- Thank you, Thane! Again. Thank you so much." She turned to Arcadia again. "And please, thank the Lady if she ever stops by again, and let her know how much this has meant to me."

Arcadia's eyes flitted to a blushing Elewiese, who stood pinching her cheek, before meeting Carlotta's again. "I'm sure the Lady is just happy for your wellbeing."

Carlotta thanked the both of them once more, and Elewiese & Mila exchanged a hug before they departed, leaving Arcadia along with the Lady of the Elixirs. "Well done on that diagnosis, Arcadia."

The Imperial blushed. "Thank you, my Lady. I'm sorry to have dragged you into that."

Elewiese scoffed. "Nothing brings me more joy than helping children with my talents. Besides, you seemed quite tired and looked like you could use the hand." She said with a chortle.

Arcadia slumped onto the bench. "Business has been absolutely insane since word of our partnership has been out." She reached into her satchel and produced a list. "I hope it's not too presumptuous to ask- I know you only just got back into the city. -But I have a list of orders for you if-"

Elewiese snatched the list from Arcadia's hands and looked it over excitedly, eager for a distraction from her woes. Without another word, Elewiese began perusing the ingredient cabinets for what she would need to begin working her way down the list. Arcadia sat back with a smile and watched the true master go to work.

About an hour later, Elewiese was cleaning her face of the perspiration she'd accumulated at the washbasin in the corner. "Phew! That felt good after the crap I've been through the past couple days." She had informed Arcadia of her journey so far as to make conversation while she worked.

Arcadia simply laughed. "I expect so." She watched the elf slip her signature vials into the slots on her bandolier, putting her back to full stock. She then moved to stow away the concoctions and mixtures the elf had created. Retrieving a lock box from under the counter, she tapped it, drawing Elewiese's attention. "Your percentage. I expect it will be overflowing by the end of the week."

Elewiese folded the apron she had donned and placed it back on the hook she'd retrieved it from. She stuffed her armor and kit into her travel bag, leaving her in just her apprentice conjuration robes and new orichalcum boots, as she had no intention of departing Whiterun tonight. "If that happens, feel free to let it flow into yours." She went over to the box and counted out the appropriate amount of coins, sliding them across the counter. "For Mila's treatment." Arcadia smiled and nodded. She emptied the remaining septims into her coin purse. "And those other items?"

Arcadia reached under the counter again and brought out a wicker basket. Elewiese grinned as the lid was lifted, revealing an assortment of dragon's tongue, thistle, and lavender. "Their beautiful." She took the bundle and lifted it up to their nose, inhaling their sickly sweet fragrance.

Arcadia gave her a look equal parts skeptical and intrigued. "These ingredients have been used in Skyrim for centuries. You really think you'll find something new?"

"It never hurts to take a second look." Elewiese grinned wickedly.

Arcadia shook her head with humor. "Ah, that reminds me. I sent word to Lord Scario, as you suggested, requesting a number of ingredients. I received his reply just yesterday saying his wife and your Housecarl would be returning with a delivery today. Does that sound right?"

"It does."

"It's getting a bit late, wouldn't you say?" Arcadia asked with concern.

"It is." Elewiese agreed, looking out the window. "I'm sure everything's fine. I'll go see if any of the patrolmen have seen them." Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she approached Arcadia and stood on her tippy toes to give the Imperial a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Arcadia blushed. "Of course, My Lady. Thank you again."

Elewiese bit her cheek to keep from laughing at Arcadia's formality as she departed. The sun was setting, turning the sky to hue of fire rivaling that which had burned in Helgen, and most of the street vendors were closing up shop for the day. On her way to the barracks at the city's entrance, Elewiese passed Ysolde and gave her the mammoth tusk she'd found while out on her journey. The Nord was thrilled, and in recompense taught her a few tricks for bartering with the notorious Khajiit caravan merchants usually holed up outside the main cities of Skyrim. Elewiese returned her attention to the barracks; just in time as luck would have it, as the runner from Riverwood had arrived and was reporting in to Commander Caius.

"Commander." Elewiese called as she approached. Both men stiffened and saluted when they saw her.

"Thane Elewiese. How may I assist?"

"Actually Commander, I was wondering if I might have a word with your messenger here." Caius raised an eyebrow and the young guard who was still catching his breath nearly choked. The Commander pushed the reluctant Nord forward, and he saluted again. "Tell me, on the way back from Riverwood, did you happen to spot my Housecarl, Lydia? She would have been traveling with a Redguard woman."

"Errr, yes ma'am. I passed them on the way back." The elf's features flooded with relief, but the guard continued. "They seemed a little worse for wear, like perhaps they'd seen battle. I offered my assistance but they said they'd wait until they reached the city to seek help."

The man was startled as Elewiese leapt forward. "What?! Were they hurt at all?! How long before you'd say they reach the city?!" The guard cringed at every question, unsure how best to answer. Luckily the answer had just walked through the gate. He pointed behind her and Elewiese looked to where he indicated. Lydia was dragging her feat in a tired manner and shifting the pack she carried, visibly uncomfortable with how it rubbed against the bandage on the right side of her throat. Shaudrey walked with a slight limp and an infuriated expression, but she gripped the handles of the carry-on chest on her back as though someone would try to steal it.

Elewiese came running, to Lydia first, assessing her wound. "What in the world happened to you two?" Lydia winced as she set down the bag and let the elf pull back the bandage to reveal an alarming cut. An inch deeper and it might've severed a jugular.

Shaudrey only grunted, clearly upset. Lydia seemed to understand and waved her down the path, towards the market. "It's Arcadia's Cauldron, to the right of the inn." Shaudrey began lugging the shipment of ingredients toward the store and Lydia returned her attention to Elewiese. "Sorry, My Thane. Complications. With the civil war raging, most holds have stopped sending out regular patrols to secure the roads. Thieves have taken to the highways."

Elewiese observed that Lydia's wound had been kept clean and covered, so there was little risk of infection. "You mean bandits?" She asked while covering the cut again.

"Nay, thieves. I caught glimpse of the insignia on the armor of the one that cut me. They were members of the Thieves Guild." Elewiese's expression turned angry, and Lydia continued. "There were two of them. A Nord man with red hair and an accent; and a woman, Imperial maybe, with blonde hair. They got the drop on us, naturally, but they quickly discovered they were outmatched for a fight and took off." Lydia seemed to struggle with what she had to say next. "I was carrying the parcel containing your shield when they ambushed us. I didn't even realize it wasn't on my person anymore until long after they had fled. I'm truly sorry, my Thane." She hung her head in shame.

While that was cause for alarm, it wasn't at all Lydia's fault. Elewiese wrapped her arms around her Housecarl's waist. "Don't worry about that, Lydia. I'm just glad you two are safe."

"My Thane…" Lydia was shocked for a moment but returned the hug with great affection.

A moment later Elewiese smiled and grabbed Lydia's hand, pulling her towards Breezehome. "Come, you must be tired. I'll whip up something to clean up that scrape and some dinner as well." Lydia's stomach growled in hungry response.

Elewiese pushed open the door to Breezehome and was met with the glow of the fire. The elf raised eyebrow. "That's odd."

"My Thane?"

"I haven't been home yet, but the fire pit is burning strong." In truth, it was a crude fire. The bottom of the pit was heavy with ash and the kindling was in need of more wood. "Shaudrey, are you here?" There was a startled rustle from up the stairs in response, to which Elewiese merely shrugged. "You certainly made yourself at home!" She called out, noting the muddy footprints on the ground, but she was completely oblivious to the fact that they were much too small to be Shaudrey's. "I'll get started on dinner!"

Lydia plopped down into one of the chairs around the fire pit and stoked the flame. Elewiese moved to the cupboard and opened but frowned when she saw it was nearly empty. That was odd, considering she'd stocked it a week ago with all kinds of preserved foods and hadn't even been there to eat them. She was about to raise the question to Lydia when a faint squeak was heard on the middle step of the stairs. Both women looked up to meet the eyes of a startled and completely still girl. She wore a dirty green shirt with holes in it and a ratty skirt.

Lydia stood upright and the girl bolted for the door. "Wait! Stop!" The girl was fast though, and made it through the door, slamming it closed behind her before Lydia could get around the fire pit.

Lydia ran for the door and reached for the handle, but before she could twist the knob, the door swung open again. Shaudrey stepped inside holding the girl that had ran, and was now struggling against her, by the shirt. "You know this kid?"

* * *

"So we were all the victims of thieves, eh? What's the world coming to?" Shaudrey commented as Elewiese finished her summary of what had transpired on her journey. A shrill ring of banging metal came from the back room. "Those windows have reinforced steel bars!" She called out.

Lydia nodded. "Stealing from a Thane is unforgivable. Pursuing the Thieves Guild members makes sense, but I don't know about this mystery 'friend'. Very few people outside the hold know you're Dragonborn. They could be aligned with the forces that seek the dragons' return." Scraping noises came from the back room. "You won't be digging through a stone floor!" Lydia shouted behind her.

Elewiese studied the flame in the pit intently. She had the same thoughts as Lydia. The dragons and their motives were still completely unknown. It wasn't all that much of a jump in logic to think someone might be helping them along. But that same sentiment kept popping up in Elewiese's head. _Is it really such a bad thing?_ She sighed deeply. "I'll be pursuing both leads." Both Lydia and Shaudrey raised objections but she silenced them by raising her hand. "As it stands, my best source of learning what it means to be Dragonborn is still the Greybeards, so I will need to complete their test. Furthermore, if this 'friend' is indeed involved with the dragons, that's even more reason to face them head on." Elewiese's eyes crinkled with humor as she caught sight of the girl slinking quietly on the other side of the fire towards the front door.

"But My Lady, your shield is-" Shaudrey was again cut off by Elewiese's calm and stern voice.

"I understand, Shaudrey, and I share your concern. With the Thieves Guild's resources, it's not all that inconceivable they have access to a mage who will breach the security on the parcel. Not only that, but I can feel it in my…my blood. A fight's coming." She averted her gaze from the fire to Lydia's eyes. "That's why you and I will be retrieving my shield following our meeting with this 'friend'."

Shaudrey shot up. "I'm coming too! I need to pay that thief bitch back for that cheap shot to my knee. She wouldn't last two seconds in a real sparring match with those dirty tricks."

Elewiese thought better than to laugh at Shaudrey's wounded pride and instead put a calming hand on her shoulder, sitting her back down. "Not this time, Shaudrey. Time is against us, and I need as many affiliated alchemists in Skyrim as I can get." She produced the contracts from Windhelm and Morthal.

Shaudrey took them and sighed, begrudgingly. "All work and no play. You're no fun Little Lady."

"Good. Well, we've made plans for two of these thieves." She glanced at the girl who was pulling vehemently on the handle of Breezehome's main door, unsuccessful in opening it as Elewiese had locked it. "Let's deal with the one directly in front of us."

The three of them had finished eating but there was still enough left for one more bowl. Elewiese retrieved a clean one and spoke up. "Even if you unlocked that, the only thing waiting for you on the other side are the city guards." She finished pouring the spiced soup into the bowl and smiled to the girl. "Why don't you come over and eat something?" Despite having raided the house's food stores, the girl looked terribly malnourished.

The girl spent a full minute shyly twiddling her thumbs before relenting, sitting in the free seat next to the fire. She took the bowl from Elewiese when it was offered but recoiled when the elven woman tucked a napkin into her collar. "It's okay," Elewiese held up her hands to show she meant no harm. The girl swallowed nervously and eased, letting her adjust napkin so it was less crooked. "It's okay…" She said again, displaying as much affection for the girl as she could.

The girl tentatively tried a mouthful of the spiced soup, and her eyes went wide. "Too hot?" Elewiese asked. The girl shook her head. "Good?" This time, the girl nodded, probably with more enthusiasm than she meant to. Elewiese laughed lightly. "I'm glad."

Shaudrey smiled at the scene unfolding and decided to call it a night. She stood and straightened her tunic. "Well, if that's all, I'll be at the inn. I'll stop by in the morning to make sure you haven't overslept."

"Do you need money for room and board?" Elewiese asked. Shaudrey threw an uncaring hand over her shoulder as she strutted towards the door. "Goodnight!" She managed before the door slammed closed behind the Redguard. Elewiese scoffed. "She's so rude."

Lydia broke, offering a momentary smirk, before returning her steely and suspicious gaze to the girl once more. She had grown to respect Shaudrey in the short time they traveled, much like she had with her Thane, although perhaps not to such a degree. Elewiese had clearly spent meticulous effort building her apothecary sovereignty. Lydia was sure Elewiese would deny it, but in Cyrodil, both Shaudrey and Maximus had made it clear that everything Lydia saw before her; the shelves lining the warehouse stocked full of alchemical wonders, the dozens of workers arranging shipments to all corners of Tamriel, even the several apprentices pouring over tomes and schematics for research; all were thanks to the effort of one young girl: Elewiese. It was enough to bring a tear to her eye to think her Thane had worked so hard to build what she had seen. To steal from this woman was an offense Lydia could not forgive, Housecarlship be damned. Therefor this girl, who so carelessly finished of the soup so kindly offered to her by the most gracious woman on Nirn, would meet every ounce of scrutiny Lydia had to give.

Elewiese's eyes wondered from girl's knotty, sandy blonde hair to her deep and gentle blue eyes that flickered with light from the fire, and then to her slightly gnarled and calloused hands, despite being so young. They were not unlike her own hands, she thought with a smile.

The girl sighed a content sigh, momentarily lost in thought as she savored the best meal she'd had since…well, in a long while. The girl was brought out of her stupor when the elf woman spoke up. "Done then?" She startled, realizing the woman had moved to sitting directly in front of her on the floor without her even realizing. The girl nodded, so she took the bowl from her hands and set it with the rest of the dirty dishes. The elf giggled, much to the girl's confusion, and took a corner of the napkin she had stuck into her collar and used it to wipe the girl's mouth clean. Her eyes went wide before turning downcast. The last person to do that to her was…

Elewiese noticed the girl's expression and realized she must've brought up a painful memory. She was getting a better sense of who this girl was. "Lydia? Would you mind taking care of the dishes while we get ready for bed?"

Lydia stood with a salute (probably a force of habit) and said, "Of course, Thane. I will- Wait. We?" Elewiese was grabbing the girl's hands, helping her up, before nodding to Lydia. "You're not gonna…" She gestured from the girl to the door to the outside.

Elewiese's brow furrowed. "Don't be ridiculous, it's much too cold outside." She walked the girl in front of her up the stairs.

Lydia called after her. "I only meant- I was just saying that- She only-" The Housecarl tried several times before facepalming. She got to work washing the dishes.

Elewiese was rummaging through the drawers in her room. "Where is it…" The girl swallowed nervously and looked around. With the elf distracted and the big warrior woman noisily washing the dishes, this might be her chance to slip out. "Ah! There we are." Elewiese presented a flowing white nightgown, her spare that she didn't travel with. "Might be a little big for you, but it'll do." Placing it in the girl's arms, she looked into Elewiese's eyes lost and confused. The elf sighed as she knelt and gave her a warm smile. She brushed a lock of hair behind the girl's ear and caressed her cheek, lovingly. "Change in here, sweetheart. I'll be just outside if you need me." With that, the elf stood and left the room, closing the door behind her. The girl stared at the soft gown in her hands, not knowing what to do.

Elewiese slipped into her own nightgown, folding her robes and placing them on the nearby table. Without even thinking about it, she shifted into her half transformation again. In past years she'd grown more accustomed to sleeping with her tail and ears out, rather than in her normal form. There was just something about the beast blood that put into a deeper, more restful sleep. It had become second nature, so it happened without her even noticing.

Once finished, she leaned against the rail, thinking about their departure tomorrow. They had pretty much everything they needed, except for one thing. She rushed down the stairs and into the back room where the alchemy table lie. In less than three minutes, she'd whipped up a small teaspoon amount of a mixture the color of blood. She set the vial on the table for later and walked back into the main foyer where Lydia was drying her hands with a clean linen. "Thank you, Lydia. That will be all. We will likely be departing tomorrow afternoon, so feel free to sleep in."

Lydia caught her as she was rounding the stairs and spoke in a hushed tone. "What are you talking about? I'm not leaving your side until we deal with this thief." Elewiese's face was blank for a moment before she busted out laughing. She even snorted a couple times before patting Lydia's cheek. The Housecarl was so shocked at her reaction that she let go of her wrist, and the elf continued up the stairs. Lydia shook her head and raced after her. "I'm serious, Thane!"

"Keep your voice down." Elewiese said in a whisper. "I told her to get changed. If you work her up, she won't be able to sleep."

Lydia scoffed. "You really think she's going to listen to you?"

Elewiese pushed open the doors to her bedroom. The girl was wearing a white nightgown and sitting on the edge of the bed. Elewiese smirked as Lydia's jaw dropped. A yelp drew both of their attentions back to the girl who was staring right at Elewiese and covering her mouth. The elf cocked a brow, confused, but quickly caught on and reached up to confirm that her furry ears were indeed out and spun several times to confirm that her tail was indeed showing as well. "Ummm… I can explain." She said prodding her fingers together in an embarrassed fashion.

She looked to Lydia who smiled evilly and crossed her arms with indignation. Elewiese would receive no help from her Housecarl this time. Looking back to the girl's expression, she was relieved to see there was more surprise than terror. Elewiese approached the bed tentatively. "You have nothing to fear from me, my dear. I'm just like you, only this is how I normally look."

"Not normally." Lydia interjected.

Elewiese frowned and nodded, ceding her point. "Fine, this is how I usually look." She knelt at the foot of the bed, holding her hands up innocently. The girl looked to Elewiese, mesmerized by her eyes and beast-like features, hopping up onto her knees. She held out her hand with a curious look to which Elewiese nodded. The girl grasped her ear and ran her thumb across the tip. Elewiese bit her cheek, but her willpower quickly crumbled under the surprisingly gentle strokes the girl gave her ears. A shiver ran down her back, and a purr emanated deep in her throat. The girl smiled for the second time that night.

Lydia coughed, startling the girl into stopping and offering a Elewiese a reprieve. "Thane, my objection stands. For all we know, she may decide to slit your throat and leave in the middle of the night."

The girl glared at the Housecarl and Elewiese merely sighed. She likely would not be able to put Lydia's fears to rest. She could settle her own, however. She held the girl's gaze intently. "If you promise not to kill me and leave tonight, I'll take you to the bath house and buy you a new dress tomorrow. Deal?" Immediately the girl's eyes lit with excitement, followed shortly after with doubt and contemplation. And that was it. That was all Elewiese needed to see in order to know this girl, or at the very least know that she would be of no harm.

The girl bit her lip and spoke for the first time. "Why?" Her little voice was soft and timid. It made Elewiese's ears feel warm to hear.

The elf merely smiled affectionately. "Can you think of a terribly strong reason for me not to?"

The both of them either ignored or didn't see Lydia facepalm again. The girl looked downcast. "I…stole…"

Elewiese tilted her head. "I don't see any problem with food that's supposed to be ate, being eaten." The girl looked guilty, ashamed, and unsure but nodded all the same. Elewiese clasped her hands together and beamed at Lydia. "See? We're all friends here."

Lydia groaned and started walking out of the room. "I'll be right outside if you need me, Thane."

"I'll be sure to scream if I'm attacked!" She called after her. "Although if my voice gets cut when she slices my throat it may be a little difficult!" She watched Lydia's form stop, shake her head, and continue on. Elewiese bit her tongue to keep from laughing and winked to the girl. "Now. Bed time." She said while picking herself up off the floor and plopping onto the bed next to her.

Elewiese stretched languidly and pawed at the furs several times, but she was out in seconds. That same pleasing rumble in the back of her throat came soon after, but it was more soothing than annoying; something anyone could sleep to. The girl laid back as well but remained fully conscious. The light from beneath the floorboards disappeared as the fire was extinguished. There was no way to tell how much time had passed. The purring of the woman beside her made her drowsy, but she was determined to not fall asleep.

Eventually, she decided to risk it and silently stood from the bed. Tiptoeing to the door, the girl peeled out and saw that the Housecarl had opted for taking a sentry position in a chair just outside the door to her room. Luckily, she had finally fallen asleep as well, a much less pleasing snore coming from her. The girl continued to slink past her and down the stairs, avoiding the squeaky step that had given her away before. Then she was home free. But as her hand wrapped around the knob of the door, and as she glanced at the cooking pots used to make the home cooked meal she'd enjoyed, and as she shifted to feel the comfortable silk of the nightgown she'd been given, the girl was reminded of the woman directly above her. The woman with strange yet kind eyes. The woman who had shown her great affection and promised her further comfort tomorrow. The only person to even be nice to her since…her mom…

The girl shuddered and sobbed. She turned and marched back up the stairs not even caring to avoid the noisy step. She strutted past the sleeping Housecarl who stirred but did not wake. The girl slipped back into the bed and cried quietly. Her tears only increased in volume as she felt arms wrap around her and pull her into a warm embrace.

Elewiese had stayed awake and sensed the girl's departure & subsequent return. She knew it had to be the girl's choice to stay, to seek help and comfort. And Elewiese was ready to give it.

It was maybe an hour before the girl took one last heavy, shuddering breath and slipped into the Aetherial plane of dreams. Elewiese placed a kiss on her forehead and rubbed her cheek with her own. "Goodnight. I hope you open up even more tomorrow."

* * *

Neither Elewiese nor the girl was sure who awoke first. It was one of those mornings where you wake up but you're not fully conscious and only happens after a really restful night. Regardless, they must have awoken around the same time because the first thing Elewiese remembered that morning was the girl's eyes, and the first the girl remembered was Elewiese's eyes.

They both just lay there in bed, watching each other. Neither was sure who started smiling first, but it grew and grew until Elewiese busted with laughter. The girl bit her lip to avoid following suit.

"Good morning." Elewiese started.

"Morning…" She replied.

Elewiese stroked the girl's hair that was in much need of a cleaning. "Sleep well?" She nodded in response, making the elf smile again. She stretched and got up, even though she didn't want to. A warm, meaty smell along with the sound of sizzling wafted through the floor boards at their feet. Elewiese hummed and nearly drooled. "What do you say we get something to eat? We can't have a young lady like yourself start off the day without a decent breakfast." She reached for the handle but stopped when the girl spoke again.

"L-Lu…" Elewiese looked back to see the girl swallow the lump in her throat. She got off the bed and stood at full height, meeting the elf's eyes. "Lucia."

Elewiese only gave her that same affectionate smile and dropped to her knees again. Lucia approached and Elewiese offered her a hand. Lucia accepted and shook it. "Elewiese." She then took the girl's hand and rubbed it against her cheek, making her laugh. It was a feathery light sound that lifted Elewiese's spirits immensely.

She rose, and the two of them walked out of the room together, although the sight outside made Elewiese stop again. "Really?" Lydia was almost completely slid out of the chair she'd posted up in, her battle axe leaning over her face. Elewiese's voice caused her to stir, bashing her nose into the weapon's grip as she rose.

"Thane!" Lydia rubbed her nose and tried not to look like she was some cheap city guard who'd fallen asleep on watch. "Did you sleep comfortably?"

Elewiese shook her head with bemusement. "Yes, beds have that effect. You should try them sometime." She pulled a giggling Lucia along as she descended the stairs. Lydia straightened her armor and her stomach growled at the aroma of cooked meat that filled the air. She descended the steps as well. "What smells so great?"

Shaudrey was crouched over the fire pit rolling several logs of meat around in a skillet over the flames. "Sand sausage." She said. "Delicacy straight from Hammerfell. I was amazed that money grubbing shopkeep Belathor had them." Lydia reached for one but Shaudrey smacked her hand away. "Hey! Grab a plate, you animal." Lydia pouted, but obeyed. Shaudrey turned her attention to Elewiese who stood behind the girl, placing her hands on her shoulders. "So…?"

Elewiese smiled. "Ladies, I would like to introduce you to Lucia."

The girl was blushing but grew confused when Elewiese pronounced the 'c' in her name as 'ch'. "Actually, it's Lucia."

Shaudrey smirked when she saw Elewiese's pleased expression. "So she can speak." The elf was likely trying to get the girl to open up to the rest of them as well. "Don't mind that kid, the Bosmer over in Valenwood all speak with a silly accent. The Lady here sometimes slips into old habits."

"Silly?" Elewiese repeated haughtily. "I'll have you several Bosmer queens were named Lucia, back when the dynasties were around. Forgive me for giving the girl a little class." The two women shared a laugh as Lucia blushed at the thought being held up to the same standard as royalty.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Shaudrey asked while rationing out the food.

Elewiese had been deep in thought on that very subject when she was handed a plate. "Well, first thing's first. I think we could all benefit from a morning at the bath house and market."

Shaudrey perked up at that. "Spa day and a shopping spree? You read my mind."

The four of them finished off their Hammerfell cuisine relatively quickly, eager for what the day had in store. The Whiterun bath house was relatively uninhabited that day, and they all took full advantage of that fact. Lucia was predictably reserved at first, but the way Elewiese, Shaudrey, and Lydia interacted with one another was so unrestrained, it became something she desired. She opened up to them, revealing that she'd only been in the city for five days and that since she didn't have anywhere to go, Brenuin suggested she beg. Lucia had been too proud to end up like that and resorted to breaking into the new Thane's house, whom she'd heard was away traveling. Shaudrey laughed nonstop during Lucia's account of Elewiese and Lydia's arrival. None of the women pressured Lucia into revealing why she was alone and traveling, although she felt some semblance of a desire to tell Elewiese.

After they were all bathed and clean, Elewiese made the ridiculous request that they sit in a circle to comb one another's hair. While the Redguard and the older Nord laughed at the idea, the Nord child expressed her desire to follow the Bosmer's suggestion. And so, it ended up turning out just like that. Elewiese combed Lucia's hair, Lucia combed Shaudrey's, Shaudrey combed Lydia's, and Lydia combed Elewiese's. It was one of the more innocent and childish acts any of the women had been a part of in a long time, and it was a welcome refreshment.

"Alright," Elewiese began while using a linen to clean the water out from behind her ears. "Would the two of you take Lucia here over to Belathor's for a nice dress? I need to speak with Arcadia about something."

"Aha!" Shaudrey exclaimed. "Finally admitting my fashion sense is better than yours, eh?" She raised an eyebrow half-challengingly, half-playfully.

Elewiese chuckled but stopped when she felt the grip on her hand tighten. She looked down to see Lucia's worried expression. Elewiese smiled and ran her hand through the girl's soft, clean hair. "Don't worry sweetheart, I won't be long."

Their arms stretched to the limit until they could no longer reach one another as Shaudrey pulled the girl into Belathor's General Store. Despite growing close to Lydia and Shaudrey this morning, and despite them arguing so closely over whom would be picking the better dress, Lucia felt alone again. It was as if Elewiese had never walked into her life in the first place.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Shaudrey patting her on the head. "Don't worry, kid. She's not far."

Lucia nodded. Hearing that did put her at ease, some. A guilty thought occurred to her; that this might be her only chance to hear what someone thought about Elewiese, even if that person was one of her friends. "What kind of person is Elewiese?"

Shaudrey looked up from the fabric she was perusing. "The Lady?" She actually gave the question a fair amount of thought. "Elewiese is strong. Compassionate. Intelligent. There's nothing she can't accomplish if she sets her mind to it." She picked up a yellow dress that took Lucia's breath away and placed it into her arms. Shaudrey ruffled the girl's hair. "And she is very, very important. Try to remember that when the time comes. Okay?"

Lucia didn't really know what she was talking about, but Shaudrey ushered her into the side room where she could try on the dress she picked out. When she emerged, Lydia beat Shaudrey to the punch. "Wow."

The yellow blouse framed the girl's figure nicely and complimented her blonde hair. The blue skirt had an exquisite embroidered pattern on it, making it look very classy. Shaudrey smirked at Lydia. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Lydia mirrored the blush that Lucia wore. "Fine, you win. She looks adorable. There, I said it."

Lucia was embarrassed but flattered. She managed to give the Housecarl a smile. "Thank you, Lydia."

Lydia's face softened, and maybe for the first time, she smiled back at Lucia. Without even realizing it, she'd completely gotten over the fact that this girl had been squatting in her Thane's property. They paid for the dress on the spot.

The door to the shop opened, and Elewiese walked in with Arcadia. Lucia bound towards the elf, spinning in a circle to display the full dress. "Elewiese! What do you think?"

Elewiese giggled and smoothed some of the wrinkles the girl's excess movement had caused. "Oh my, Lucia, you are beautiful! Well done, Shaudrey."

Lydia huffed making the dark skinned woman snicker. "How do you know it wasn't me that picked it out?" The Nord asked.

Elewiese scratched the back of her head and sweated a moment before she was saved by Arcadia. "Lady Shaudrey. It is a pleasure to see you again. And you Lydia." She bowed to the both of them.

Lydia returned her bow and the Redguard made a shooing motion with her hand. "The only Lady here is the one standing next to you. Just call me Shaudrey."

"I see." Arcadia stated before turning her attention to the girl. "Ah, you must be young Lucia." She held out her hand. The 'c' came out as a 'ch'.

The girl in her bright new dress shook the alchemist's hand. "Actually, it's Lucia." She said with a pointed look at Elewiese who smiled as she had once again mispronounced it. "Nice to meet you."

Elewiese glanced over at Belathor, who was much too busy counting his payment for the girl's dress to pay them any attention. "Lucia, Arcadia owns a store I've partnered with and she's agreed to help us out."

Shaudrey raised an eyebrow. "Is that true Arcadia?"

The older Imperial woman nodded. "I've been needing some help with chores around the shop. Simple stuff like cleaning and advertising. It also wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands to help when I'm brewing something."

Lucia's brows furrowed, so Elewiese clarified things. "Arcadia is offering you a job, Lucia; a way to take care of yourself. And I'm offering you a home. You'll be free to live in Breezehome as long as you like."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they did, the girl's eyes turned misty. "I can stay…with you? I can live with you?" Elewiese smiled that same affectionate smile and nodded. Lucia threw her arms around the elf's neck and started bawling. Belathor raised an objection to the disturbance but was quickly shot down by Shaudrey and Lydia's death glares.

Lucia eventually managed to collect herself and pulled back. Elewiese was kind enough to dry her tears with her robe, to avoided staining the new dress. "Thank you." The girl stated, truly and sincerely.

Elewiese placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're welcome." The elf was close to tears herself, the condensation on her strange gold and red eyes threatening to spill over. "Now, what do you say Arcadia shows you around the shop while I have a word with the girls?"

Lucia was in such a daze, all she could manage was a nod. Arcadia took her by the hand and led her from the general store. Elewiese, in an almost equally dazed state, was shocked when Shaudrey picked her up off the ground in one of her rare, full-body hugs. Elewiese laughed and wiped her eyes as she finally set her down. "That was very kind of you. She's a great girl; I can see why you helped her."

"I don't." Lydia stated before shaking her hands innocently. "Not in mean way or anything! I mean, Elewiese; that was incredible! But why go to such lengths to help that girl?"

Elewiese thought for a moment, struggling to explain, but Shaudrey always had a way summarizing Elewiese's feelings when she herself couldn't. "She sees herself in that girl."

Elewiese smiled at Shaudrey before nodding in confirmation to Lydia. "Alright!" She said, shaking free of the overwhelming feelings. "Let's see where we're headed. Belathor!"

The elf's bark startled the Breton shopkeep and he jumped as the three women approached. "Yes, Thane? What can I get for you today?" He asked in his overly charismatic bartering voice.

"Just a map, please." She replied with a sigh. The Breton raised an eyebrow, certain he'd already sold her one. He produced a map of the province as requested, and Elewiese paid him the measly amount. She took it over to a display table. "Lydia, where were the two of you when the thieves jumped you?"

She pointed on the southern portion of the map, at the first fork in the road after Pale Pass. "Here. You and I passed these crossroads on our way to Ivarstead."

Elewiese hummed in thought before producing the vial with the blood red mixture she created last night. She uncorked it and began chanting some kind of spell. Tipping the vial over, the mixture slid out and lowered but at slow pace. It seemed to have the consistency of mucus, but as it touched the papyrus of the map, it sank right into it, creating a mark at the crossroads Lydia had pointed to. Elewiese corked the vial and stopped her chanting, watching the map intently. Suddenly, the red dot began moving, a blood red trail that followed along the road east and through the pass south of the Throat of the world. Instead of turning north as Lydia and Elewiese had to reach High Hrothgar, the line continued east and south to almost all the way at the bottom right hand corner of the map. When it reached its destination, the trail sizzled and smoked, stopping dead in its tracks at…

"Riften, eh?" Shaudrey raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" Lydia asked, eyeing the vial Elewiese held.

"One of the security measures I designed for the parcels we use when shipping special items. I can track them virtually anywhere in the world, with few exceptions." Elewiese explained. "What do you know about Riften?"

Lydia placed a hand on her chin in thought. "Not a lot, but it makes sense if this is saying the package ended up there."

"Why?" Elewiese and Shaudrey both asked.

"Because if there's one thing everyone in Skyrim knows about Riften," Lydia sighed. "It's the home of the Thieves Guild.

* * *

A little sickly for my taste (even though I wrote it) but there you have it. This was mostly setting stuff up for later, but as you'll note in that last section: Sh*t is about to get REAL.

Hey there ladies and gentlemen! Hope you enjoyed that, the latest chapter of my story, _An Elf Like No Other_! If you guys haven't worked out the pattern, I usually try to drop three chapters every twenty days (1 chapter a week), but I fell a wee bit behind this time. Being an Architecture student with an English Literature minor and working a job can get tough, so I don't always have time for fanfics, even though I'm a total fanfreak :'D However! This story has kind of been like a reprieve for me and I really like writing it and hearing from you guys. I've got a lot of cool ideas for this story and I'm sure my excitement for it will result in some really cool responses from you guys. Just don't hate me if I can't hit that magic number every few weeks when I drop a batch of chapters. Anyways, thanks for all the support and I'll catch you fanfreaks next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**An Elf Like No Other**

* * *

Chapter 9 - Heavy Heart, Bloody Hands

* * *

Her path set, Elewiese sent Lydia and Shaudrey to Breezehome, trusting them to oversee the preparations for what provisions they would be bringing on their respective journeys. Opening the door to Arcadia's Cauldron once more, she found the alchemist huddled over her alembic, the young girl by her side and paying close attention. Elewiese couldn't see what Arcadia was working on as she was too distracted by how cute Lucia looked with that same flower printed apron from before around her waist. Her closing of the door however drew both of their attentions.

Lucia beamed at her. "Elewiese! Come look at this. Alchemy is amazing!" She ran over to grab her hand, and began pulling her over to Arcadia.

"Ah, enjoying alchemy are we? Perhaps I'll teach you about it."

Lucia perked up at that. "You know about alchemy?"

"A bit." Elewiese's humble response was enough to warrant a chuckle from Arcadia. Lucia nodded enthusiastically to her inquiry, making her smile. "Then that settles it. When I return, I'll teach you everything there is to know about it."

Lucia's enthusiasm stuttered. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be traveling. There are tasks that I must complete; that I am responsible for." Elewiese spoke truly, but Lucia's expression made her drop to her knees, down to the girl's level, once more.

Lucia's lip quivered. "You're leaving?"

"I have to, sweetheart. My quest concerns the safety of all, even you, though you may not realize." Despite her soft and reassuring words, a few tears slipped from the girl's eyes. Elewiese pulled her into an embrace.

Lucia couldn't help it. Here she had found a new home when she'd never expected to find one at all, and now the woman who had given her all of this was embarking on what was most likely a dangerous journey. She might've gotten further upset if she hadn't remembered Shaudrey's words.

 _She is very, very important. Try to remember that when the time comes._

So this is what she meant when she said that. It didn't make it hurt any less, but Lucia knew Elewiese had to do this. "I-I understand…" She said with her face buried in the elf's chest. Elewiese was surprised Lucia could accept her departure so easily, but she had more to say. Lucia leaned back from the embrace to look her in those red and gold eyes. "Just promise you'll come back. Promise you won't die like my…like my…" Lucia tried, but couldn't.

Lucia realized that Elewiese understood though. Whatever she had say, Elewiese already knew. As fresh tears fell down her cheeks, Elewiese reached up and wiped them free of tears with both her hands. She then cupped her cheeks and looked directly at her. "I will always return." She vowed before placing a kiss on the girl's forehead.

It was enough. Lucia nodded even though her heart clenched with worry, and she could already feel the loneliness creeping back, and even though nothing was certain, all because Elewiese's promise was enough. The elf stood after stroking the girl's hair once more and wiping a tear from her own eye she hoped no one had seen.

Arcadia tried not to let the emotions she felt from watching the scene leak into her voice as she chimed in. "How long will you be gone, My Lady."

"I can't be certain." She said truly. There was no telling what trouble this 'friend' could be or how long it would take to plan the infiltration of the Thieves Guild. "I'll try to avoid being gone longer than a week at most. Do you have everything you need for my absence?"

Arcadia straightened and nodded with confidence. "Of course, My Lady. You can count on us."

Us. Elewiese glanced down at Lucia who tried to maintain a brave face for her. She liked that. Elewiese reached the door of the shop and glanced back once more. Arcadia had her hands on Lucia's shoulders. Holding that image in her mind, she managed a smile and was off on her next adventure.

Lydia and Shaudrey stood ready outside Breezehome. Elewiese merely walked past them, and they followed without a word. They wisely knew better than to ask what happened after seeing the elf's pained expression. They passed through the gates and followed the path down the hill. When they reached the stables, Elewiese shook head and cleared her throat to remove the lump there. "Alright, who's taking the horse?"

Lydia grimaced, wanting to selfishly raise her hand, but she knew Shaudrey had the longer journey. However, Shaudrey had her own opinion on the matter. "You should take it Little Lady. Time is of the essence, and the longer those thieves have their grubby hands on that package, the more danger that it's been breached."

Elewiese sighed. "But we need to establish our supply lines. You've heard the rumors, same as I. Dragon attacks and sightings in the countryside are becoming more frequent. We're running out of maneuverability." The both of them grimaced, trying to find a work around to their problem.

Lydia glanced at the stables and noticed another equine next to her Thane's bay horse. This one's mane was a pitch black, and its flanks were well muscled. Lydia noticed Jervar Sable-Hilt filling the animals' trough, and an idea occurred. "Hey, Jervar!" Lydia ran over to the man, bewildering her companions.

The son of the stable's owner turned and immediately blushed when he saw it was Lydia who had called his name. His cheeks further reddened when she laughed and clasped his shoulder softly. "Ah…Lydia… Nice to see you again." A wood elf approached looking to Lydia questioningly. Jervar had seen the woman when she walked back from slaying the dragon that attacked the western watchtower and had since heard the subsequent rumors. "Thane Elewiese!" He quickly bowed. "It's an honor to meet you." The elf nodded her thanks.

"Jervar, it's been so long! How have you been?" Lydia bat her eyelashes at the man, making him chuckle nervously.

"I've been well, I suppose… Is there something I can do to assist you?" He stretched the collar of his shirt, trying to avoid embarrassing himself in front of Lydia or her Thane.

Lydia audibly gasped and her eyes went wide. "Of course! Thane, Jervar and his father raise the greatest steeds in all of Skyrim. I'm sure he'd be willing to help us out!"

Elewiese was bewildered by Lydia's behavior but quickly caught on. Smirking, she addressed the man. "I see, and you say you are friends with my Housecarl, Jervar?"

"Errr…" The man was flustered, especially when Lydia giggled and hugged his arm. "I suppose we are."

"Then any friend of Lydia's is a friend of mine. Perhaps you'd be willing to lend us a hand. We are on an urgent quest concerning the return of the dragons." Elewiese spoke truly.

Jervar's eyes widened. He'd spoken with his father about getting out in the world, possibly fighting the dragons. Skulvar had laughed the idea off, but here he was, possibly helping the Dragonborn do just that. "How could I possibly help you?"

"We seek another steed. Our party is splitting up to pursue different objectives and time is of the essence. Will you help us?"

Jervar paled a little. "The only horse we're currently holding has been reserved by another customer. They promised my father 1500 gold for her." He looked to Lydia, desperately wanting to help her.

Elewiese grimaced and made a downward scratching motion on her nose while making eye contact with Lydia. Understanding the message, the Nord maiden squeezed Jervar's arm. "Oh, Jervar! Please help us! If you do, I'll have a mount for when we go riding like you've been asking." Lydia offered with a dazzling smile.

Jervar got a dreamy look on his just thinking about it. "Well… I really couldn't let her go for than a thousand-"

"Sold." Elewiese said plopping a coin purse into the man's arms.

"Errr, right… Let me just grab the title papers…" Jervar carried the gold into the hut, slightly confused as to what had happened.

"Well done, Lydia." Shaudrey said genuinely impressed. "Say, Little Lady. How much did that put you back?"

Elewiese opened up her now feather light coin purse and counted it out. "I have twelve gold pieces." She said to which Shaudrey facepalmed.

Lydia lightly panicked. "I'm sorry, my Thane! If I had known, I wouldn't have suggested-"

Elewiese merely raised a calming hand with a chuckle. "Settle down, Lydia, it's fine. What's the point of having money if you're not going to spend it?"

Shaudrey growled in irritation. "I swear Elewiese, if it wasn't for my husband running the finances, you'd have bankrupted yourself into the ground." Elewiese stuck her tongue out at Shaudrey for that one.

The Housecarl sighed, still miffed that she hadn't run her plan by her Thane first. "Let's just be sure to make the most of it."

"I don't know," Elewiese said with a light laugh. "A ride across the planes of Whiterun with a nice, handsome, young man? Sounds like Lydia will certainly make the most of it."

Shaudrey spotted Lydia frowning at that sentiment. "What's the matter, Lydia? Not your type?"

Lydia shook her head. "I seek a warrior, a hero, a protector. Someone like…" Her eyes drifted towards Elewiese who had her back turned as Jervar exited the hut with the papers. A blush spread across her cheeks that she was glad no one saw.

Elewiese thanked the stable boy once more and the trio mounted up, Lydia & Elewiese on the black horse and Shaudrey hoisting herself up onto the bay. They kicked off, the horses galloping at top speed towards Riverwood. Elewiese shouted over the wind as they wound their way up the road. "Be back as soon as you are able Shaudrey! We'll need to begin arranging and organizing regular shipments!"

Shaudrey laughed challengingly. "I bet I'll make it back to Whiterun before you!"

Elewiese shared her smirk. "It's a race then!" They held each other's gaze a moment before reaching over to grasp one another's hands. After a feint squeeze, and once they'd passed under the parapets of Riverwood's outer protective wall, Elewiese reigned in her horse, coming to a stop just outside the Sleeping Giant Inn. Lydia and Elewiese dismounted, both watching Shaudrey shrink down the road until she could no longer be seen. Elewiese sighed, disappointed to see her go as always, but smiled when Lydia gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

They turned their determined gaze to the door of the inn. Embry, the local drunk, was taking a breather on the porch, swooning back and forth while humming a bardic tale silently to himself. It was quiet inside, apart from the light thrumming of a lute. "Wait a minute to follow me in." Elewiese whispered to Lydia.

The Housecarl nodded in understanding and took a seat on the bench. She ended up pushing the drunk to the ground when Embry leaned on her shoulder and began smelling her. Elewiese stepped through the threshold of the inn, smirking when Sven glared at her. He was likely still upset at her ruining his chances with Camilla. A traveler or two sat around the hearth, warming themselves while they nursed their drinks. Could one of them be this 'friend'? Elewiese spotted whom she assumed was the proprietor of the inn, a hardy middle aged Nord woman with platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes. When the elf approached, she raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

The first thing Elewiese had noticed when walking into the inn? There was NO attic. Rolling her eyes at how stupid she must sound, another thing this 'friend' would answer for, she cleared her throat and spoke loudly. "I would like to rent the attic room." She watched the travelers' reactions as she said it, and to their credit, they acted as most would: looking at her likely she was crazy. The bartender snorted, and the innkeeper merely raised an eyebrow. "Well, we don't have an attic room," She said quite obviously. "But you can have the first one on the left."

Elewiese sighed deeply, shaking her head as she placed the money in her open hand, leaving her with literally two coins to rub together. As she walked toward the open room, she heard the door to the tavern open again, and the familiar clanking of Lydia's steel armor soon followed. Elewiese sat in the chair provided inside the room she'd rented. Despite being well rested and feeling eager for the tasks ahead of her, she closed her eyes and let out a weary breath. Was she truly any closer to understanding the dragons? Mirmulnir had attacked the western watchtower more than a week ago. At this rate, Elewiese would never uncover the truth.

The innkeeper's footsteps made her open her eyes. "Sorry, but I don't wish to be disturbed. I'm waiting for someone." Elewiese stated.

The Nord seemed to be sizing her up. "So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about?"

Elewiese's brows furrowed deeply. "What are you-" She stopped mid-sentence when the innkeeper dropped a ceremonial war horn of ancient make into her lap. The horn of Jurgen Windcaller.

"I think you're looking for this." The woman, whomever she was, seemed to take great amusement in Elewiese's confusion. "We need to talk." Her expression turned serious and she waved a hand towards her. "Follow me." She began walking into the main hall leaving Elewiese little choice but to tail her.

They waded past a traveler who seemed to be regaling another with news of a vampire attack near one of the main cities. Lydia looked to be listening in, when Elewiese and the mystery woman strolled past. She made to stand, but the elf quickly shook her head for her to stay seated. Lydia obeyed tried to seem as interested in the conversation happening next to her as possible, but when Elewiese returned her attention to her guide, she noticed her body language seemed tougher, more rigid. It disappeared so fast however, that Elewiese was unsure if she had seen it at all.

She followed the Nord into the inn's main suite, where she walked over to seemingly normal wardrobe. "Close the door." She said, nodding to the entrance behind Elewiese. The elf raised an eyebrow but complied. The innkeeper merely smiled as she opened the empty wardrobe and grasped the hidden handle to slide the false back panel aside. A passageway and a set of stairs were revealed. "Now we can talk." She began walking down the steps.

Elewiese groaned. Was she seriously about to follow this stranger into some sort of secret murder dungeon? She wasn't left with much choice though. The ceiling was low, even for a wood elf, so she ducked to avoid hitting her head. The passage ended into an underground box basement. The weapon racks and table in the center of the room with a knife slammed into it didn't much dissuade her murder theory. "So, now that we're in the creepy basement, what's-" She was cut off as the innkeeper pinned her back to the wall and held a knife to her throat.

"Who are you working for?"

Elewiese looked to the woman incredulously. "Seriously?"

"I saw your companion." She whispered in a harsh tone and pressed the knife into her neck a bit harder. "Who are you?"

The elf grew indignant. "So you steal from a tomb you have no right to enter, leave a note asking to meet with me, and threaten to kill me when I show up? What in Oblivion is wrong with you?!"

The Nord narrowed her eyes. "Last chance. Tell me or die."

Elewiese sighed, deciding enough was enough. "You stole my line."

The innkeeper's demeanor grew confused. "What- nngh!" The growl was light but clearly displayed that she was now painfully aware of the dagger Elewiese had managed to pick up off the end table behind her and dig into the woman's leg just a bit. The innkeeper looked down, noticing the blade was right over her femoral artery. Was it a lucky strike? No, she decided. The aim of the dagger was surgical and precise. This elf was clearly well trained. "I can still cut your throat." She tried threatening.

Elewiese shrugged. She planned to use her Unrelenting Force Shout to push the woman off her after she had cut the vital point in her leg to bleed her out, but it wasn't a guarantee. "I guess that means we're both gonna die. Before we do though, mind telling me why I came all the way out here?"

The innkeeper held her glare on the elf for a long time, weighing whether or not to trust her. Eventually she backed off, dropping her knife on the table. Likewise, Elewiese let the dagger fall from the woman's flesh and did not pursue her, returning the dagger she'd picked up to the surface she'd found it on. "You want me to take a look at that?" She gestured to the woman's leg that bled, but only superficially.

The Nord grunted in humor. "It's fine. I've had much worse." Hiking up her dress a bit, she reached over to the table behind her and grabbed some gauze from a pretty standard medical kit. Elewiese blushed at the woman's lack of dignity and looked around room as she finished wrapping her thigh. "So," She said, smoothing out her skirt. "Mind telling me who your friend is?"

"She's just that. A friend." Elewiese crossed her arms. "You're a fool if you thought I would come here alone. That was you who took the horn, yes?"

The Nord chuckled lightly. "Surprised? I guess I'm getting pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act."

"Enough." Elewiese held up her hand, her irritation returning. "Who are you really, and what do you want with me?"

"My name is Delphine," She said exasperated, as though telling the truth was painful for her. "And for now, that's all you need to know." Elewiese gave her the look that she wasn't buying it. "Look, I didn't go to all this trouble on a whim. I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap. I'm not your enemy. I already gave you the horn." Delphine wrung out her hands. "I'm actually trying to help you! I just need you to hear me out."

"Speak you're mind, but if I don't like what I hear or I think you're giving me the run around, I'll walk." Elewiese spoke calmly, even though this was going about as smoothly as she'd predicted, and sat a chair behind her.

Delphine looked as though she were biting back one of her angrier retorts and breathed steadily. "I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. For now that's really all I can say on that." Elewiese sighed but nodded for her to continue. "I knew the Greybeards would send you there if they thought you were one. They're nothing if not predictable. When you showed up here, I knew you were the one the Greybeards sent, and not some Thalmor plant."

Elewiese raised an eyebrow at her mentioning the agents of the Aldmeri Dominion again. "What's your beef with the Thalmor? I mean, don't get me wrong. If you've ruffled their feathers, my hat's off to you, but why the cloak and dagger?"

Delphine's demeanor grew dark as old memories were brought up. "We're very old enemies. And if my suspicions are correct, they might have something to do with the dragons returning." Elewiese's expression turned shocked. "But that isn't important right now. What is important is that you might be Dragonborn."

As much as Elewiese wanted to hear what evidence she had of the Thalmor's involvement in the dragons' return, she would let her have her say first. "Why are you looking for a Dragonborn?"

Delphine picked up a book from the table in the middle of the room. Elewiese immediately recognized it by its familiar black binding and Imperial insignia on the front; the Book of the Dragonborn. "We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer. You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul." She had been flipping through the pages but stopped to eye the elf again. "Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"

Elewiese's expression turned sad for moment. "I absorb some kind of power from dragons. That's all I can say. Regardless, it's my business, not yours."

"You're wrong!" Delphine slammed the book back down and quickly rounded the table. "It is my business. You're either the only one that can stop these dragons, or you aren't." Delphine finally noticed the elf's surprised & confused demeanor, and quickly regained her composure. "But I'll see for myself soon enough."

"Just what is it that you aren't telling me?"

Delphine leaned back on the table and sighed, like this next part would be hard to swallow. "Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere for all these years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life. And I need you to help me stop it."

Elewiese stood abruptly. "What?" She asked quietly. Delphine went on to speak about knowing how crazy it all sounded, and how she'd said just that to an old colleague a long time ago, but Elewiese wasn't listening anymore. She had just admitted her group was responsible for the murder and extinction of dragonkind. Who did this filthy woman think she was? Delphine had her back to Elewiese as she was rummaging through a chest. The dagger was still next to her as well. Actually, forget the dagger. What Elewiese really wanted to do was sink her teeth into this petty mortal, devour her from head to toe and breathe fire on everything she loves and holds dear-

"Dragonborn?" Elewiese jolted as Delphine roused her from her thoughts. Looking down, she realized her knuckles were white from gripping the arms of her chair. She let go of them and rubbed her arms, realizing she'd broken out into a cold sweat. "Are you alright?"

Elewiese laughed nervously. "Of course, I apologize. I think I may have caught a cold, Ataxia perhaps." Delphine raised an eyebrow.

Internally, a mental debate raged within Elewiese. Never in all her life had she experienced such a profound and unwarranted murderous rage, not even in her full werefox form. That wasn't surprising though. Hircine assured her she would not encounter the same compulsion of hunger that befell lesser lycanthropes. However, it wasn't even a hunger. She just wanted to destroy this woman, with teeth and claws and fire. As a monster would. As a dragon would. This epiphany that occurred to Elewiese, while disturbing, helped to reign in the remaining desire to harm Delphine, at least for now. Elewiese still needed her help after all. "So, what makes you think dragons are coming back to life?"

Delphine raised an eyebrow, knowing something was wrong but not what, so she moved on as though nothing had happened. She had retrieved some kind of papyrus rubbing from the chest and set it on the table. "I know they are. I've visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty. And I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and you're going to kill that dragon." Elewiese had to fight to not clench her fists at that. "If we succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"How did you figure any of this out? My inquiries into the matter have only produced Nordic folklore and myth." Elewiese growled, irritated.

A chuckle, perhaps the most carefree sound Elewiese had heard from the woman thus far, erupted from Delphine. "Yes, we Nords do love to embellish our stories. My organization has a long history with the dragons. While most of it has been lost, I managed to scrounge up enough to piece together where to start looking. That's where we first met." Elewiese gave her a confused look. "You should know. You got the map for me. The dragonstone you got for Farengar, remember?"

Elewiese went wide eyed remembering the mysterious leather bound stranger whom had been the court wizard's contact. "That was you at Dragonsreach!"

Delphine merely smiled. "I'm glad you were paying attention. The dragonstone was a map of ancient dragon burial sites. I've looked at which ones are now empty. The pattern is pretty clear. It seems to be spreading from the southeast, down in the Jeralls near Riften."

"Okay." Elewiese took a deep breath and concentrated on logistics, planning out the next move. "When and where is this happening?"

Delphine pointed at the map, a circled point at the end of a line of 'X's. "Kynesgrove. There's an ancient dragon burial near there. Whatever has been happening seems to occur every three days if you sort through all the sighting and reports of attacks correctly. The next dragon will resurrect two days from now, if the pattern holds. I'm hoping we can get there before it happens. Maybe we'll learn how to stop it."

The angry voice that had murder on its mind and boiled in her blood told Elewiese that stopping it was the last thing she wanted. Despite being afraid of that new side of herself, she actually agreed with it. Perhaps witnessing the process of a dragon's resurrection would provide insight into some new form of magic, and if the process could be repeated, the dragons could make a recovery.

Elewiese quickly shook her head at that thought. What if the dragons were every bit as ferocious as in the tales? Did she really have the right to set them loose upon the world? Her head was hurting. "I have business in Riften. I'll meet you in Kynesgrove, two days from now." She said standing and heading for the entrance to the secret basement.

Delphine quickly grabbed her arm. "Riften?! Are you serious? This dragon isn't going to wait for you to finish with your wedding or whatever it is you have planned there. We need to go now."

Elewiese merely glanced back at Delphine, letting the full extent of her feelings and the voice that was in her blood show in one horrifying glare. The innkeeper recoiled and let go of her arm, backing up so the knife on the table was in her arm's reach. Elewiese merely returned her attention to the top of the stairs and began ascending them. "I'll be there. You damn well better be there too."

Lydia sat gripping her tankard harshly. She'd yet to hear any commotion from the room her Thane had disappeared into, but that didn't mean nothing was wrong. This whole setup didn't sit right with Lydia, and she doubted it did with Elewiese, but they both understood they didn't really have a choice. Still, it'd been some time. No sooner had Lydia resolved to bust into the room did the door finally opened to reveal Elewiese. The Housecarl's relief quickly died however as she noticed the elf's demeanor. She quickly brushed passed Lydia and out into the evening air, the warrior in tow.

Elewiese's head throbbed and her eyes grew misty. She hated it. All of it. She didn't want to be Dragonborn. She didn't want to go to Kynesgrove to kill a dragon. She didn't want the dragons to hurt anybody. And above all else, she didn't want these thoughts. Elewiese wanted to stop thinking; to stop the thoughts that we're racing through her head, tearing it to shreds. She couldn't even tell which were hers or which were _hers_. A shudder ran through her body and she gripped the railing on the inn's porch. Her skin was clammy and quickly turned cold in the frigid evening air.

A warm hand lay lightly on her back. "Lady Elewiese?" It was the softest she'd ever heard Lydia speak. She wanted nothing more than to go back to that morning, spending time as a clique with Shaudrey, Lydia, and Lucia. But there was no time.

Elewiese let out a sigh before sniffling. "Mount up." Her voice was horse and left no room for debate.

Lydia looked sadly to the back of Elewiese's head. As with most situations, she did not know what to say. She cursed herself, wishing more than ever that she was the kind of person who could just cheer people up and make them smile. She wished she could be more like Elewiese. Instead, she untethered the horse from the post and pulled herself up. She offered her Thane a hand and pretended not to see her wipe tears from her cheeks before accepting the hand and hoisting herself up behind Lydia. "Riften, Lydia. We have to make it in a day."

She nodded. It would be a tough ride, no doubt, but Lydia would not fail her. "Heeyah!" She yelled, spurring the horse into a full gallop and racing out of Riverwood. Lydia concentrated in the road, keeping a keen eye out for any source of danger. It served as a distraction from the lump in her throat that formed when Elewiese wrapped her arms around her waist and sobbed herself to sleep.

* * *

Ellewiese's childhood home in Valenwood was fairly unique in that it was one of the few places, at least so deep in the forest, where the jungle canopy was open to the sky. It was prime real estate to be honest, although few would want to live so remotely. From late morning to early afternoon, the sun shone down on the small clearing with the shadows of the jungle right on the edge of the homestead. The architecture was that of most forest floor houses: small and no space was wasted. Elewiese would barely walk twenty steps to reach the kitchen from her bedroom, and that number only grew smaller as she grew taller.

She stood outside the home, rubbing the wood frame of the door with an affectionate hand. The triangular shape of the hut made it look like a big wooden tent with extruded windows. She'd experienced much wealth and refinery since living here, but never encountered a roomier or cozier environment than her childhood home. It was most certainly nepotism, but isn't that the point?

Elewiese's expression grew confused and she stepped away from her home. _Wait, how did I get to Valenwood? Aren't I in Skyrim?_ A spade being shoved into the soil sounded from the corralled garden that nestled against the house. Elewiese gasped when she looked over. A woman with gray-streaked auburn red hair sat on her haunches, digging in the dirt. Her skin was scarred but fair and soft around the old wounds. Hands that had seen much action, be it in battle or in gardening, carefully transplanted the roots and stalk of an embrium plant, a rare medicinal flower, into the freshly dug divot. She hummed a tune that had been one of Elewiese's earliest memories.

"Momma?" Of course it was a little odd for an adult to address their mother in such a childlike way, but Elewiese never gave it a second thought. Especially not when the woman's ears twitched and she looked up. She was beautiful. Age had marked her, even as an elf with an extraordinary lifespan, but the few lines that were scarcely noticeable didn't subtract from how gorgeous she was. Her eyes were a warm hazel color, but there was something in them Elewiese had only seen a few times in her life.

Growing up, she had noted the sullen, empty and dark look her mother's eyes held when Elewiese had fed her, bathed her, or helped her in and out of her clothes. But then, every once in a while, there would be a light. A mischievous, glamorous, life-loving light that glimmered in her eyes when her mother sang to her, hand fed her a blueberry muffin, or just looked at her like she was the most precious thing she had ever laid eyes on. And it was there, in her eyes, now. "Elewiese…"

Just the way she said her name… Elewiese knew that light represented who her mother truly was; what had been taken away from her in that terrible place. She wanted that light to be in her mother's eyes forever. Elewiese covered her mouth and tears ran down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. Her mother's eyes grew sad, but her smile remained strong. "Sweetheart, go to the temple."

Elewiese blinked a few tears away. "What? Where?" Her voice cracked and she shook her head, not knowing what her mother was talking about. The Bosmer matron merely smiled the smile that Elewiese yearned for and hoped to see more and more, everyday her mother spent catatonic.

Elewiese held her mother's gaze for as long as she could. Perhaps subconsciously, she knew this dream had nothing more to tell her. She memorized every detail of her beautiful face until her eyes burned, and she was forced to blink. When she opened her eyes again, the scene was gone, and Elewiese woke up.

* * *

Early morning light spilled through tress with red and gold leaves. Elewiese opened her eyes that held similar hues of color and stretched. A blanket rolled off her chest as she sat up to take in her surroundings. There wasn't much of anything in sight. The trees here reminded her of fall in Valenwood. Her horse was hitched to the trunk of one of the trees. Lydia lay a few feet away, curled up and hugging herself to try and stay warm. Elewiese felt guilty about having the blanket now. She felt guilty that Lydia had been assigned to her and how her duty forced her to help such a lost cause like Elewiese.

Sighing, Elewiese picked herself up and stumbled over to a nearby relatively clean rain puddle. She splashed some water in her face and waited for the surface to settle. The reflection she was met with was about as attractive as she felt. Despite a restful night's sleep, dark circles rimmed under her eyes. Her red pupils seemed to be bleeding into her gold irises, the tiny bloodshot veins prominently displayed. Even her naturally tanned Bosmer skin seemed especially pale. Reaching up a hand to her forehead, she confirmed that her headache was indeed still present. She was unwell. That much was clear, but there was so much to do.

A twig snapping to her right made Elewiese look up. While she didn't spot the source of the commotion, she could see the road in the distance. I sign signified the Riften was but a mile along the path.

 _I see. Lydia must have stopped here to await my decision on how to best enter the city,_ Elewiese thought to herself. _She's a good woman._ The sentiment only made her sadder though, given the circumstances.

Elewiese glanced at the sign again, and then to Lydia's sleeping form. Coming to a decision, she snuck over to the pack next to her slumbering Housecarl to retrieve the specific garments she'd packed. Elewiese changed into the black robes, removing everything except her small clothes and her bandolier as it was easy hide under the dark fabric, all while keeping her furry ears perked for lookyloos or movement from Lydia. She began walking towards the road and in the direction of Riften, deciding Lydia deserved the sleep. More importantly, she deserved someone who wouldn't abuse her Housecarlship the way Elewiese had been doing.

It wasn't long before the walls of the city came into view. The Bosmer ducked behind a tree and pulled the potion from the top slot in her bandolier. She threw up the hood of her cloak she'd brought, and fixed the mask she'd also retrieved from the pack over her eyes, leaving her mouth and nose visible. She was left looking like a barefoot wandering beggar, which would allow her to move through the city unseen, something she'd surmised from the less fortunate in the Cyrodillic Capitol. The mask was sure to raise a few eyebrows, but she didn't want to risk anyone identifying her in a city rumored to be bought and paid for by the Thieves Guild; the same Guild she was here to rile up.

Any credible crime organization would have a lookout, maybe a dirty guard, to notify them of any strange newcomers waltzing into town. Therefor the front gate was out of the question. Elewiese drank her invisibility potion and jumped from the shadows. It took her a minute to find a section of the city wall that she could scale, and other minute to actually climb it. She'd skipped her morning routine of stretches and exercises, and she was paying for it. All her joints ached, though she suspected that was more from how she was feeling.

Elewiese dropped into an empty alley way in between a couple of buildings. Good thing too, as her potion wore off as soon as her feet touched the ground. She began moving through the maze of walls and buildings, encountering more and more people as she got closer to the city's center. Riften's layout was interesting, with the canal snaking its way through the city, separating the lower class hovels that lined it from the richer more prominent street level mansions. Eventually a man turned the corner of the ally Elewiese was traversing and began walking directly towards her. She quickly lowered to the ground, sat crosslegged, and hung her head while holding her hands up in an asking fashion.

The man stopped in front of her, making her tense and weigh whether or not she should bolt. Then she felt him place a coin in the palm of her open hand. His voice was calm and gentle when he spoke. "Here, poor soul. I hope it helps." He smelled of fresh water and fish, like he spent a lot of time at the docks. He began walking away, but turned once at the end of the alley. "You should come to the service at the temple today! Lady Mara cherishes all, you know!"

Elewiese's eyes widened and she looked to the man, but he was already gone. The temple? She recalled her mother's words from her dream: _Sweetheart, go to the temple._ It was a dream…wasn't it?

Elewiese found herself walking towards the city center, whether by her own will or someone else's, she was unsure. She found the city market place. Beggars dressed even more poorly than her sat pitifully in the shadows. Elewiese walked along until she found a structure built higher than all others, dwarfed only by the city's keep. The Temple of Mara's entrance was flanked by two large braziers that seemed to beckon onlookers with a sort of divine glow. Elewiese gulped and ascended the stairs. Uncertainty stayed her hand as she pressed it against the temple's door, but eventually she managed to push it open and entered.

The interior was very warm and greeting. Light from several candles and more braziers made the environment a cozy one, probably to keep people from leaving during boring sermons and whatnot. You might've picked up on this, but Elewiese was _not_ a temple girl. She'd never been one to ask for help from on high, and given recent events of learning she was in fact the daughter of a divine bastard-

Elewiese winced as her head throbbed. She brought a hand up to squeeze her sinuses, but it had little effect. Elewiese wanted to leave and continue on with her mission. Instead she found herself taking a seat in the furthest pew in the back of the temple. She let out a frustrated, miserable sigh. She hated how angry she was. Of course, she had every right to be, but it was so against who she was. Elewiese had always been carefree, whimsical, and compassionate. Not a murderer, not a dragon slayer, but a healer. All she wanted was peace.

Glancing around, Elewiese was surprised to find no one inside the temple, not even a priest. Reaching up to remove her mask, she supposed there wouldn't be an abundance of the faithful in city of thieves. The solitude was not unwelcome though. Coupled with the serene environment of the temple, Elewiese finally had a place to vent. "Go to the temple? Why?" She muttered to herself. The elf slid down in her seat so that her head could rest on the top of the pew's back. She stared past the ceiling above her. "I don't suppose any of you are going to tell me how to live with murder?" The silence that followed was expected but irritating all the same. "I didn't think so."

"I suspect that even if they did reply, they would not have an answer for you."

Elewiese yelped and fell out of the pew, she was so startled. Her mask clattered to the floor, falling at the feet of the woman who had spoken and was sitting right next to her. She was a human, clearly, but one who seemed to be a mix of Imperial and Nord, so it was hard to tell. She was beautiful; black hair and soft, glowing skin. Her face was marred by tears that fell freely from her dazzling hazel eyes, even though she was holding a handkerchief. She wore a regal, fanciful dress and a shawl to match it. Her prominent smile distracted Elewiese while she offered her hand.

Recognizing the gesture, Elewiese tried to stand of her own accord. "I didn't mean-" She bumped her head on the pew in front of theirs as she stood and rubbed the bump that was quickly forming.

The woman's eyes went wide with worry. "Are you alright?"

Elewiese's head shook of its own volition as she bit her lip, but she quickly refuted any injury. "I'm fine." After regaining her sense, she was quick to cover her earlier carelessness. "And really, I was only kidding when I said I wasn't a murderer… I'm mean I'm not! I mean I'm not a murderer!" Elewiese facepalmed, having completely failed in explaining herself. She'd be lucky to make it to the edge of hold before a bounty was issued for her.

"Are you?"

The question was so calm, Elewiese couldn't help but look to the woman, bewildered. She realized the woman wasn't afraid at all. Oddly the enough the only emotion her face displayed was curiosity; odd, considering tears still streamed down her cheeks. It was the way she said it too. She wasn't so much asking her if she was. Rather, she was asking Elewiese to ask herself.

For more than a week, all throughout her journey thus far, Elewiese had been carrying around a guilt ever since Mirmulnir. The act of absorbing a dragon's soul, while euphoric, was taboo, cannibalistic, and heinous beyond comparison. She felt that way with all of her heart, but if that was true, then why was the Dragonborn given this terrible power? Elewiese recalled the body of the Whiterun Guard Mirmulnir had dropped from his talons while soaring through the sky, and the way he simply refused to yield when Elewiese had defeated him. He would not have changed. He would have kept killing, more and more innocents.

Elewiese swallowed hard as she sat back down next to the mysterious woman. "No." She said with certainty. "I'm not a murderer." The woman smiled and Elewiese felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Funny how you can know something, and fail to understand its meaning. Elewiese began scrutinizing the woman who brought her to this simple revelation. "Who are you?"

Dabbing her eyes with the handkerchief, she laughed lightly. "Oh, I'm just an empathetic mother and wife, dear. No need to worry."

Elewiese tilted her head at that but remembered what she had said. "What did you mean they wouldn't have an answer for me?"

The woman put a finger to her chin in thought for a minute. "Well look at things from their perspective. Mortals live such fragile lives already. Why does a man hasten the inevitable of another over something as petty as greed or pride?" She shrugged, clueless.

"Not all blood is shed over selfish reasons." Elewiese defended.

"Of course, dear." She pat the elf's hand with her own. "All I meant to say was death is death, nothing else."

Elewiese frowned, struggling for an answer. "But how is someone supposed to live when death follows in their wake?" She thought of all the fearful rumors circulating about the dragons and the few hopeful whispers that the Dragonborn would stop them. Could anyone really ask her to kill them? "How is anyone supposed to live when death is expected of them?"

The woman met her eyes, yet said nothing of their uniqueness. "That depends on the strength of the individual, both of their hands and of their heart." She said holding Elewiese fingers, then pointing to her chest. "Who is the better soldier? She whose hand shakes at the memories of lives she has taken, or she who sheds tears over those whom she could not protect? I cannot truly say. However, one still has loved ones willing to carry her pain with her."

Elewiese's eyes grew misty once more. "And if she didn't choose to be a soldier, what then? What if she was just born with death in her blood?"

"Then it's by her will, and her will alone, to stay that death." The woman encouraged. Elewiese looked confused as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's up to the bringer of death to show mercy when needed, and any who would disagree with her decision must defer to her birthright."

The elf's eyes glimmered. "Mercy?"

"Yes."

Of course… Of course! Elewiese didn't have to kill anyone! She could stay her hand when able. Everyone assumed it was kill or be killed with the dragons, but if she could make peace with them… If she had just asked why Mirmulnir was attacking, perhaps they could have come to some sort of agreement. Elewiese had been so worried about what people would say if they found out their savior's true disposition towards the dragons, that she didn't seek their demise, that she had completely glossed over the fact that the choice was hers alone. She could spare any dragon who yielded, and any who would question her decision would just have to live with the fact that she was Dragonborn. She, and she alone. The dragons deserved to live too, and Elewiese would give them that chance.

Elewiese heaved a few relaxing breaths, no longer burdened by her throbbing head or heavy heart. She felt a sense peace with what she was, for the time being at least. "Wow," She exhaled again, this time with a small laugh. "You're really good at this." The woman merely smiled. "Seriously, thank you."

She pat the elf's hands that she still held. "I cherish all." Was her humble response. Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "You should be on your way now, dear. A resourceful young woman like you must be very busy."

She was right of course, but Elewiese felt slightly guilty when she nodded and stood, slipping her hands out of the comforting woman's. After all, she still had no idea why this sweet, caring woman was crying so profusely, even as she helped set Elewiese's heart at ease. However, if she ever hoped to see if the dragons were truly capable of redemption, she would need to meet the one rising in Kynesgrove, which meant leaving, right now.

Elewiese replaced her mask, setting it on her face once more, and had just set her hand on the temple's door when the woman spoke again. "Oh, and Elewiese? Do try and show mercy while dealing with those thieves as well."

"What?!" Elewiese's bewilderment and utter shock caused her voice to come out with nearly the force of a Shout. Unfortunate considering the temple was now full of people. The elf's jaw dropped as all eyes turned upon her; the friends and family lining the pews, the bride & groom at the end of the isle, and the priest who stood behind the shrine officiating the wedding. Surprised stares turned to angry glares, and Elewiese was again stumbling for words. "I-I'm sorry! I thought this was, errr…the inn, or something…I'll just be leaving now-"

Then she caught her eye. Standing behind the priest was the same woman Elewiese had been sitting by in the empty temple only moments ago, only now she was eight feet tall and made of brass. The statue was identical down to the face, the clothes, even the tears. Elewiese realized then why she had looked so familiar, only now she realized the smile in all of the divine's depictions was slightly more devious then she likely let on.

It was Lady Mara.

* * *

Lore Notes -

So, while visions of the divines aren't unheard of, they don't typically appear before people outright. Whether that's because they're so weak from their involvement in the creation of Nirn, or if it's because they simply don't care, I leave that up to the discretion of the reader. However, our girl isn't any regular Jane Doe, so a little nudge of encouragement from the forces that seek to preserve Nirn here and there won't ruffle too many of my lore whore feathers.

Warning! False visions of the divine may result from contact with daedra or dangerous flora. If visions persist for more than four hours, contact your local priest and alchemist immediately.


	10. Chapter 10

**An Elf Like No Other**

* * *

Chapter 10 - Return to Sender

* * *

Elewiese tried her best not to slam shut the doors of the temple as she hurriedly scurried outside. She then slumped against the nearby wall and glared into the sky. "Mara!" She whispered harshly. She was only slightly irritated and very, _very_ embarrassed. Elewiese raised her hands, sliding them under her mask in an attempt to cool her reddened face. What started as a small chuckle of disbelief quickly evolved into near manic fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"My Thane?" Elewiese was trying to catch her breath and wipe the tears from the corner of her eye when she heard Lydia's voice.

Lydia recognized the outfit her Thane wore, having been made privy to Elewiese's plan of keeping her identity secret. However, the Housecarl's face said it all. Relief but irritation, worry but anger. Lydia had assumed Elewiese decided to make a suicide run at the Thieves, all by her lonesome, which incidentally, she had.

Elewiese understood and felt guilty about abandoning her outside the city. Lydia looked ready to give her an earful, and demand to know Elewiese's explanation as to why she had been left behind, how she could be treated so coldly. But Elewiese couldn't help herself. She acted on the one impulse she had when she first saw Lydia, jumping up and wrapping her arms around her Housecarl's neck.

Lydia stumbled as she was forced to lean down, accommodating the shorter woman's height. She was naturally surprised at her Thane's change of mood. She was even more surprised when Elewiese leaned back and cupped her cheeks with her soft hands and held her gaze with misty eyes. "I'm sorry, Lydia, for everything." A moment passed before the Housecarl's face softened and she nodded. Elewiese smiled and sniffled as she buried her face into Lydia chest, hugging her with all the affection she could manage. Lydia was uncertain of what had happened to her Thane, but she was glad it did.

"Now," Elewiese finally said after minutes of enjoying Lydia's embrace. "There's been a slight change of plans…" The elf scratched her the back of her head the way her Housecarl knew meant she had idea that Lydia would not particularly approve of.

* * *

Delvin, Vex, Brynjolf, and Mercer all gathered at the desk in the Cistern to scratch their heads. Others had come to gawk at the box, but moved on when they realized the four master thieves had no hope of opening it.

The only woman of the group growled slammed her dagger into the box. The blade's tip simply bounced off the parcel, its runes quickly glowing red. Brynjolf pushed vex out of the way as a powerful thunderbolt spell erupted from the box, just narrowly missing her and Nuruin who was practicing archery on the far side of the Cistern. He yelled his protest at the group trying to open the package.

"Dammit, Vex! I said put away!" Brynjolf helped the girl up who simply grumbled and dusted herself off.

Mercer sighed. "We're getting nowhere with this. Any word from Enthir?"

"Aye," The red haired thief stated. "Vipir just returned from Winterhold; said Enthir still won't deal with us. Won't say why though."

Mercer scowled. "Maybe being found with the Jarl's ring on his person will make him cooperate."

"Come on, Mercer." Delvin protested. "No need to burn any more bridges."

The guild master merely shook his head. "Brynjolf, tell us again about these broads you two jumped."

He thought for a moment, trying to recall every detail. "I jumped the Nord since I was closer to her. It struck me as a little odd, two armed escorts for one little chest. I was about to write her off as a guide when I spotted this tied to her waist." He tapped the box lightly as to avoid upsetting it as Vex had.

"And she was a warrior," Mercer asked, to which Brynjolf nodded. "Both of them?" He addressed Vex this time.

The foul tempered Imperial snorted. "Yeah, she was a warrior all right. Damn Redguards. Everyone and their mother can handle a blade in Hammerfell."

Mercer gripped the sides of the desk, irritated. "How do a couple warrior adventurers cast this kind of a spell?"

"I've been doin' some research on this here insignia," Delvin tapped the emblem stamped into wax on the lid of the box; feminine hands holding a rosebud. "And I've come to a very grim, very wealthy conclusion, my friends. We are holding a package belonging to the Lady of the Elixirs."

"What?!" Vex snatched up the box and shook it several times, despite having seen what it was capable of. "Her stuff's like liquid gold!"

Brynjolf held his chin in contemplation. "I thought she only operated in Cyrodil."

Delvin shrugged. "Not anymore, apparently. My sources tell me she's already partnered with stores in Whiterun, Windhelm, maybe even Morthal."

"So we're talking about a potion here?" Mercer grumbled, underwhelmed.

"I don't think so." Vex said still shaking the package near her ear.

Delvin looked them each in the eye to express his seriousness. "The Lady has made several of her advances in alchemy public knowledge, but she keeps the really good stuff to herself. If we're lucky, and I realize that word don't mean much 'round here no more, we might be dealing with proprietary information that could be worth a fortune." That earned smiles all around the table.

Mercer was about to state that finding a way to open the box was now their top priority, when a commotion drew their attention to the Cistern's entrance leading to the Ragged Flagon. Rune and Sapphire came running. "Quick, bar the door!" She told him. He complied and the two ran over.

Rune waved frantically. "Mercer, we've got trouble! Two crazy chicks are storming the Flagon-"

Everyone in the Cistern flinched and ducked as the door that had been barred exploded, sending splinters of wood throughout the room.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find them, to be honest. Ask anyone in Riften and they'd all tell you the same thing, which essentially boiled down to this:

Thieves = Ratway = Bad

Elewiese had Lydia pose as a foreigner visiting her native homeland probing for information. She was sure to ask numerous question after purchasing a drink from an Argonian at the inn. She did the same after selling Elewiese's left-hand orichalcum gauntlet to a grumpy leather-armored merchant, as she said she wouldn't need it anymore.

They found themselves examining an entrance to the festering sewers beneath Riften, towards the end of the canal that flowed through the city. The marketplace still buzzed with activity overheard, but there was no one in sight. "Are you sure about this, Thane?" Lydia voiced her disapproval once more.

Elewiese pushed open an iron gate leading to the tunnels collectively known as the Ratway. "I told you, we don't have time." Originally, they were going to spend a few days in Riften, gathering intelligence on how best to storm the Thieves Guild, catching them unawares and the like. However, there was a much more pressing issue occurring to the North, and they had be there for it in exactly one day. "Now, I'm gonna need you to stay calm."

Lydia seemed offended. "Really? Their thieves. I could best any of them in frontal assault, which incidentally is exactly what we're doing."

"No, I mean stay calm about me." Lydia raised an eyebrow, and Elewiese tried to find the best way to explain. "Look, what's your opinion on magic?"

Immediately, Lydia scowled. "Unless it's for a kid's birthday party, I'm not really a fan."

Elewiese sighed. "Well, I'm a fairly accomplished mage as well. If we're going avoid bloodshed, I need you to maintain a calm presence when I'm casting spells. If not, you'll start a panic, and lives will be lost."

"Who cares? Their thieves." Lydia shrugged. Elewiese gave her a chiding look to which she raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, but you're starting to scare me. What do mean 'remain calm'?"

Elewiese laughed nervously. "Just know that I'm in complete control. That's all."

Lydia watched her wearily as she drank a luminescent blue potion from the bandolier underneath her robes. Elewiese shuddered and tensed as though she'd jumped into an icy lake, before a shiver ran through her spine and a quick arc of lightning jumped from one hand to the other. "Whew! I'll never get used to that." She winked to Lydia, and the two were off, wandering through the festering sewers beneath Riften.

The Ratway turned out to be a fairly extensive yet simplistic maze of tunnels filled with nothing but skeevers and crazy people who attacked on sight. Elewiese roasted the diseased vermin with blue fire, while Lydia simply rendered any hostile squatters they encountered unconscious at the behest of her Thane. Elewiese did paralyze a man in chef's hat; sorry, in nothing BUT a chef's hat; and he ended up falling forward, stabbing himself in the arm with the knife he wielded. She was quick to administer a healing spell however, and grabbed a book off the nearby table to cover his, *cough*, pastries.

It was in this room where they found a door, a plaque hanging crookedly by one hinge on its center reading simply 'RAGG D LAGO'. The infamous Ragged Flagon. Lydia nodded to show her readiness, and Elewiese pushed open the door.

A large pool of scummy water filled the center of a circular room. The half of the room Elewiese entered through was occupied by empty, barren nooks crowded with cobwebs. On the far end of the water sat a wooden platform crowded with tables, though only a few were occupied by shady looking characters. Elewiese and Lydia walked to the right and past a bouncer who growled at them. Ignoring all the looks she was receiving, the elf strolled right up to bar and sat on a stool. Lydia stood at her back, glaring down any who did the same to her.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the swagger this little girl was trying to put off by waltzing into the wolves' den. "I think you're in the wrong place, doll."

Ooh, Elewiese was going to enjoy this. "That's not what everyone up top says." She glanced around. "This does seem to be a bit of a dead end though. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the Thieves Guild is, would you?"

The barman glanced to the bouncer and nodded. The ugly brute of came over, reaching out with the intent to lay his hand on Elewiese. Lydia stopped that thought immediately. She quickly dashed around him, twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his head into the bar, splintering the edge off completely. The bouncer did not get up again. "That May have been a bit much." Elewiese commented.

Lydia frowned and looked down. "I thought it was fine." She shrugged.

The barman was breathing heavily now, like he'd been the one in a fight and tried to make a run for it. "Whoah!" Elewiese shot a green light from her hand that completely enveloped him. He skidded to a stop before slowly turning with a dizzy expression on his face, the Pacification taking effect.

Three of the shady characters sitting at the tables shot up and ran for the side passage to the right of the bar. The two closest ones, a man and a woman made it past Lydia before she managed to block the path. The only remaining escapee was a Redguard woman in sleeveless gray-leathered armor. "Trust us, you don't want to go back there." Lydia stated. The woman gulped and ran out of the Flagon the way the two of them had arrived.

"Hey, barman!" Elewiese called to the man.

He looked at her again, not quite all there. "Vekel. The name's Vekel the Man."

Elewiese shared a look with Lydia before addressing him. "Alright Vekel my Man, show us the entrance to the Thieves Guild."

He began walking around the bar. "And give us a bottle of your best stock." Lydia added.

Vekel complied with the request while Elewiese scolded her Housecarl. "Lydia, that's stealing."

She took the bottle of Black-Briar Reserve from the man greedily while shooting Elewiese an incredulous look. "You're joking, right?"

Elewiese smiled and the two of them followed the bartender down the passage the others had fled to. They came upon a cabinet, which Vekel pointed to, and Elewiese quickly got the idea, having found a similar secret just yesterday in Riverwood. She opened the cabinet doors and pushed the false back panel, so it swung to the right.

"Thank you, Vekel. You may go now." Elewiese said to the man. He did sort of a half nod/half salute thing that resulted in him hitting his forehead against his hand.

Lydia watched the man shamble back down the hall. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Elewiese's smile turned to a light frown as they both watched him walk right into a table, upending it and sending bottles and dishes everywhere. "Yeah, he'll be fine."

At the end of the passage, they found a heavy framed door. Elewiese tried lightly pushing it open. Didn't work. Lydia tried bashing it with her shoulder. Nope. "Hmmm… Stand back." The Housecarl obeyed. Despite having a culturally dislike of magic, she was eager to see what her Thane could do.

Elewiese erected a wall of light in front of them; the strongest barrier she could muster. In her other hand, she summoned blue flames. She concentrated, warping them into a ball of condensed energy that was just waiting to be released. What she held was the size of a ball of yarn. "Bigger." She said to herself. It swelled to the size of a child's kickball. "Bigger." The fireball inflated until it nearly grazed the ceiling. "Perfect."

"Ummm, I'll just be back here." Lydia said, losing her nerve and retreating back to the cabinet.

Elewiese rolled her eyes and let loose her spell. She quickly used her now free hand to reinforce her ward. Not a moment too soon, as the blast erupted and nearly pushed the elf off her feet. Elewiese grit her teeth and dug in her heels, forcing the the blast to go the only other direction. The door was blown off its hinges along with portion of the wall, and smoke filled the section of the tunnel in front of Elewiese, held at bay only by her ward. Elewiese nodded for Lydia to join her before dropping the barrier.

Smoke poured from the tunnel, covering the entrance to the Ragged Flagon in obscurity, but cleared soon enough, revealing the two figures of the women Rune had warned about, one of whom Brynjolf immediately recognized. His eyes bulged as he looked upon the woman he'd stolen the package from. Her eyes scanned the assorted thieves scattered around the Cistern until she met his. The warrior smirked.

Niruin and Cynric, the closest to the Cistern's secret entrance to the graveyard in Rfiften, made a dash for it. A wall of fire erupted in front of them however, stopping them in their tracks. The flames didn't stop there however, and began spreading in both directions along the edge of the Cistern. It continued until it came full circle, cutting off all other routes and sending a clear message: no one leaves. The woman Brynjolf had robbed walked forward, and called out loudly. "All kneel before the Lady of the Elixirs."

Most everyone's eyes went wide as they stared both at her and at the cloaked figure behind the woman. Thrynn, the oaf that he was, chuckled and drew his mace. "There's a whole load of us and only two of you."

The cloaked, five-foot-two figure walked slowly forward, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor of the cavern. Her robes were tattered and dirty, reaching only down to her mid-thigh. The mask she wore was a bare crescent moon shape that curved over her nose, thin vertical slits providing a small field of vision. If the woman found it difficult to see however, she didn't show it. She reached the center of the Cistern and lifted her hand. With a snap her fingers, a dozen purple lights flashed through the room, and when they died, every thief in the guild was flanked by two armored dremora, all wielding great swords.

"Kneel." The woman demanded again.

Every man and woman complied, dropping down to the ground under the watchful eyes of the Daedra warriors. "Hey Thrynn," Rune called from across the cavern. "Shut up."

The former bandit growled, but said nothing else. There might've been laughs if the situation wasn't so dire. There were a few tense moments of silence, filled with uncertain glances between one thief and another, before the woman spoke again.

"One of you has made the grave mistake of stealing from not only me, but from My Lady as well." Lydia took a moment to let those words sink in before continuing, staring directly at the red headed thief who had done the deed. "A crime for which there is only one real punishment."

Brynjolf shared a cryptic glance with Mercer who merely sighed and nodded. Slowly, as to not provoke his hulking guards, Brynjolf stood, but kept his head hung low. He grabbed the parcel off the desk and approached the center of the Cistern tentatively, two of the dremora trailing behind him. Brynjolf drew closer and closer to the small figure draped in dark fabrics until he deemed he was close enough. The distance was one he could close with his knife in barely a second, though he would never try. Something told him that if he did, he wouldn't even live long enough to regret it. Instead, he knelt and looked up past the mask of the Lady into what he assumed were eyes. "Warrior," He addressed the woman that had spoken thus far. "Might I converse with the Lady?"

"Speak, thief." Came her response.

Brynjolf sighed in relief, although it was a little too soon to stop holding his breath entirely. "Esteemed Lady of the Elixirs, I humbly express my gratitude for merely hearing me out." He spoke eloquently but rebuked under the cold stare of the Lady. A shiver ran down his spine as he continued. "My name is Brynjolf. It is true. I am guilty of the heinous crime of stealing from you. There would no punishment more fitting than that which you deem necessary, My Lady. I only ask one thing of you." He looked her in eyes once again and begged genuinely. "Reserve your wrath for me, and for me alone." He gestured around the room. "These innocent souls should not be judged solely by my stupidity." Brynjolf breathed out steadily and closed his eyes, letting his head droop as well. He thought about begging for his own life, but wasn't sure he should press his luck. If he could save the Guild, that would be enough.

"Is that all?" It was the first time she'd spoken. The Lady's voice was light and sickly sweet, but Brynjolf dared not look up.

"It is My Lady. I await your verdict." The thief held up the Lady's package and awaited certain doom.

What happened next actually did make him look up however. The Lady of the Elixirs giggled. She had a hand over her mouth, but the raised corners and dimples on her cheeks confirmed that she had indeed laughed. She slowly plucked the box from Brynjolf's hands and passed it back to the Nord woman. When the Lady looked back, he no longer saw a cold presence behind the mask, rather Brynjolf felt she was a very warm and gentle being. "Honor among thieves? Your guild's reputation precedes you."

He looked back to the desk where Mercer, Delvin, and Vex still knelt. The old codger of the lot gave him a look that said 'roll with it'. Looking back, Brynjolf was surprised to find the Lady leaning down, putting her face inches from his. She smelled like flowers. "I forgive you." Her response nearly made the thief choke, but she wasn't done. "However, you did injure one of my ladies in waiting. I can't personally let that go." She leaned back and stepped aside so Brynjolf could get a better look at the other woman. "Lydia, do you forgive him?"

Lydia's eyes went wide. Nothing in the plan Elewiese had described said anything about putting her on the spot. "No," Came her immediate response as she turned up her nose. She blushed though, both at the man's expression and her pettiness. She recalled the man being behind her and pressing the knife against her throat. She had headbutt him to make him stumble. That's when he had cut her by accident. She sighed. "But he needn't be harmed. It was more my fault than anything…" She waved her hand at him dismissively.

"Hmmm…" Elewiese thought with a finger on his chin. "Perhaps we should have him kiss it and make it feel better."

"WHAT?!" Several voices arose throughout the Cistern, the loudest from Brynjolf and Lydia. A huge blush spread across the Housecarl's face just thinking about the handsome man kissing her neck.

Another giggle from the lady erupted. "Kidding." She threw out nonchalantly.

Lydia facepalmed. "My Lady, don't we have a a schedule to keep?"

"Ah, yes." Brynjolf noted the way her face turned serious once more. Elewiese now spoke loud enough to let her voice resonate through the cistern. "As unfortunate as this incident was, it cannot be repeated. The Lady of the Elixir's mission is to bring healing and knowledge to all corners of Tamriel, and I will not stand for any impediments to that mission. This is not a negotiation, we will not _pay_ for any _protection._ This is an ultimatum. If I hear word of any of my warehouses being ransacked, or if any of my caravans are robbed by your people, or if any of you so much as to shoplift in one of my stores…" Elewiese raised her left hand and every dremora warrior in the cavern drew their blade. "I will return and personally cleanse the Ratway with fire." The ring of flame surrounding the Cistern doubled in height to accentuate her point. "Do we understand each other?"

Brynjolf nodded vehemently. "Of course My Lady. None of us would dare dream of-" He was silenced as she put a finger over his lips.

"Shhhhh, hush now, my little thief." Brynjolf's eyes went wide as she reached down with one of her tiny hands to tuck his braid behind his ear. "You've had your say and spoken well. However, I was not addressing you." Elewiese straightened and stared directly at the man who began glaring at her the moment she began her speech. "Do we understand each other, guild master?"

Mercer Frey had since stood and was gripping the sides of the desk with white knuckles. Who did this bitch think she was, waltzing in here and making demands of him? He felt a slap on his leg and looked down to see Delvin nodding for him to accept her terms. If there wasn't still money to be made in this cesspool, he would've driven his sword through the old man's throat then and there. As it stood though, the guild would bleed money for a few more years before he would strike out on his own, and his first target would be the Lady of the Elixirs. This bitch was powerful, no doubt, but with the Skeleton Key, he was unstoppable. For now though… "I understand."

Elewiese held his gaze, gauging his honesty. She decided she didn't quite trust him, but his advisors all seemed insistent that he accept, Brynjolf included. Maybe she could trust them. Well…not trust…

"Very good." She finally decided. With a snap from her right hand, the fire died out and all but the two dremora flanking Brynjolf disappeared in a haze of warped purple air. The normal ruckus of water rushing through Cistern now proved a welcome silence as opposed to roaring blaze just moments prior. "You are free to go about your…business." All the thieves stood carefully.

They began gathering into small groups and talking amongst themselves, glancing in the Lady's direction. Elewiese found their uncertainty amusing, but her smile faltered when she saw the red headed thief staring. "Brynjolf. Would you be a dear and mind escorting us out from this filthy- *cough* I mean, from your lovely home?"

He nodded and watched as she walked towards her lady in waiting. "I'd be honored." He muttered to himself. The two women were whispering to one another and eyeing Vex of all people. Brynjolf gestured that he'd be fine to a worried looking Delvin, but his eyes went wide when he saw the Lady of the Elixirs approaching the trio of master thieves.

Vex turned her nose up at the shorter woman as she approached. "Was there something else, _your majesty_ -? Ow!" The blonde tumbled to the ground as she was kicked in the knee.

Elewiese 'humphed' with superiority and began walking back towards Lydia. "That was for my other lady in waiting."

Vex threw out a colorful variety of expletives as she unsheathed her dagger and lunged for the woman, but she was luckily and just barely held back by Delvin and Mercer.

"I'm ready to leave this place." Elewiese stated factually to Brynjolf. The thief was trying not to take too much humor away from the interaction he'd just witnessed. "What about you Lydia?"

Lydia smiled proudly at her Thane. "Of course, My Lady. After you."

Looking expectantly to Brynjolf, the man got the message and held his arm out, as a gentlemen should. Elewiese looped her arm into his with a smile and the three marched their way back through the Ratway. Brynjolf of course knew the tunnels like the back of his hand and saved them a great deal of time on their way back. Hans and Franz were still present throughout the sewers, but Elewiese dismissed them as she had the rest when they reached their destination, much to Brynjolf's relief. In minutes, they'd returned to the iron gate leading to the Ratway entrance, and Elewiese breathed in the fresh air. "Thank goodness. I was beginning to think my nose had gone dead from being in that odorous place."

Brynjolf scratched the back of his head and nodded, ceding her point. "So what now?" The two women looked back at him, Lydia with raised eyebrows. "My Lady!" He added quickly.

"Now… Now I'm off to save the world." Brynjolf thought she might have been joking, but what what little of her expression he could read told him she was telling the truth. He stood rigid when she smiled at him again. "You spoke very valiantly on behalf of your friends and your organization."

Brynjolf bowed his head. "I'm just glad you saw fit to give us another chance."

"Hmmm…" Elewiese hummed. "You were very convincing. I trust you will keep this rabble from making any future mistakes." Brynjolf laughed nervously at such a tall order but quickly stopped when he felt her hands on his sides. The Lady of the Elixirs stood up on her tippy toes and placed a kiss his cheek, giggling as the bristles on his face tickled her lips. "Thank you Brynjolf," The thief was a little dumbfounded by her affectionate gesture, but was only further confused by what happened next. Elewiese reached up and removed her mask, bringing it down over her mouth so he still could not see her entire face. Now it was her nose and lips he couldn't see and only her eyes were visible, instead of vice versa. "But I hope we don't see each other again." She winked her eyes with golden irises and blood red pupils at him.

And then they were gone. Brynjolf stood in the entrance of the Ratway long after they'd left, contemplating every moment that the Lady of the Elixirs had spent paying their little organization a visit. Brynjolf had many conquests in his day, and many a jaded lover on his tail, but no woman had ever left him quite as speechless as she had. After tracing his fingers over where her lips had been on the cheek she'd kissed, and after shaking his head while laughing, the thief returned to the Ragged Flagon for some relief in the form that every Nord took comfort from: mead, plain and simple.

* * *

Lydia pulled on the pack she'd strapped to the horse to make sure it was secure. Hearing a groan, she looked back to her Thane trying to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree trunk. "I think you liked him, Elewiese."

The elf simply laughed. "Didn't you? He was very charming. And handsome." She winked at Lydia and bit her tongue.

Lydia blushed and tried to change the subject. "W-Well you really weren't kidding about being and accomplished mage. That was something else." She marveled genuinely.

"Hardly." The elf chuckled slightly. "I nearly passed out summoning so many dremora at once. Of course, if I had, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She noticed Lydia's raised eyebrow and explained. "I individually bound each and every one of those brutes, but if they thought they could kill me and reassert control, they'd do it in a heartbeat. They are still Daedra after all."

Lydia leaned against the well muscles horse's flanks, rubbing her chin in thought. "What was it you called me? A 'lady in waiting'?"

Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Did I? Oh! I suppose I did." Lydia waited, making the elf blush. "Well, a lady in waiting is the term we've always used when referring to our apprentices and special assignment personnel. You know, people who are important to the mission of the Lady of the Elixirs. Men of course are our gentlemen in waiting."

Lydia smiled at that. "I like it." Elewiese shared her Housecarl's expression, happy that she approved. "Still, I know you said you warned me and everything, but…" She shook her head in disbelief. "The name Shalidor comes to mind, ya know?"

Elewiese blushed at her praise and was surprised to learn Lydia even knew about Shalidor. Of course, he was one of the greater Nord historical figures, and Lydia being the proud Nord she was would know of him at the very least. "In truth, I'm mediocre at best. I've just got a leg up on the competition." Elewiese said while waving one of her Magus Elixirs in the air before placing it back in her bandolier.

Lydia looked to the bandolier with newfound interest. "My Thane…" She started tentatively, and Elewiese already knew where this was headed. "I asked Maximus and Shaudrey something in Cyrodil, but their answer was that I would have to approach you with my question. I know it isn't my place to ask, but I was hoping…well, since I'm a part of your mission now…"

"You want to know about my private Elixirs." Elewiese finished for her. She nodded. Elewiese sighed and nodded to a tree stump in front of her. "Come here. Sit." Lydia obeyed and Elewiese crouched before her. She withdrew one green, one blue, and one red vial from the slots along her kit's strapped length.

"This is the Magus Elixir." She handed the blue vial to Lydia. The Nord studied the luminescent blue mixture. It swirled around inside, like it was a gas instead of a liquid. The only indication it was ingestible was the ever present meniscus. "Drinking this temporarily increases my comprehension, allows me to recall any spell I know of, and mitigates the amount of magicka I call upon when using magic. Outside of combat it helps me theorize and discover magical sequences for research. Inside of combat, I bring to battle the wrath of Aetherius. The downside is there's no escaping the debt of magicka I accumulate when the Elixir wears off. I've gone days without recovering magicka before, and trust me, it's not a pleasant feeling. Even a non-magic user's body like yours maintains a degree of magic for basic functions. Going without for extended periods of time can be…painful." She held out her hand and a wide-eyed Lydia placed the Magus Elixir back in her hand. Elewiese then gave her the next vial.

"The Rogue Elixir." Lydia thought the hue of green this mixture projected was very pretty, like leaves in the spring time. Air pockets bubbled inside at a peaceful, leisure-like pace. She wasn't sure she'd want to drink it though. "Under its influence, my reaction time is near instantaneous. It's not as though time slows down at all; I perceive it normally. My senses are just hyper aware to the point that my body is sent into a state of overdrive. I can move incredibly fast and sense everything around me, from the beat of a butterfly's wings to an arrow flying towards my heart. The drawback is it takes a toll on the body. You recall my incapacitation after defeating the dragon in Whiterun?" Lydia nodded, remembering her Thane's bedridden state when she was first assigned to her. "The move I performed to…kill Mirmulnir was way beyond what my body alone was capable." She replaced the vial in Lydia's hand with the last one.

The Nord studied the maroon colored liquid that emitted a bright red light in her palm. Odd. Even weirder was the jagged solid shapes floating the through the liquid that would explode and swirl around violently before condensing into an even uglier shape. "And this is the Gladiator Elixir. Imagine the might to lift a cart over your head, or to throw a warhammer across Tamriel as the chieftain of clan Rourken once did, not that I've ever tried. Paired with the strength of five giants comes a sort of primal, instinctual knowledge of how to handle whatever weapon I'm holding. My muscles grow tense, letting me glance off most blows, but this one comes with a cost too. Being so high strung leads to an inherent soreness after its use, and it has an effect on my psyche as well." Lydia gave a quizzical look and Elewiese elaborated. "When I imbibe the Gladiator I grow pompous, irritable, even angry. I would take on a hundred men on a whim, although with the benefits, I might just win. It takes incredible mental fortitude to fight the urges this Elixir plagues me with."

Lydia let Elewiese slide the vial out of her hand and watched as she returned all three to the slots on her bandolier. She amazed that such power could fit in her palm. "Are they addictive?"

"The power? Yes. The mixtures themselves? No." Elewiese answered truthfully.

"And you make these a lot?"

Elewiese understood it was a layered question. "Yes and no. The only of these elixirs in all of existence are these ones, right here." She shook her kit. "I never make more than I am going to carry and there are none in circulation. I've never lost one, and even if I did, there is no way to identify the ingredients used in them or their method of brewing. There is no known recipe for their creation aside from what's in here." Elewiese tapped her temple.

Lydia was equal parts astonished and admittedly jealous. She was sure she wouldn't want to experience the drawbacks Elewiese had described, but it was still immense power. But that was the whole point of why Elewiese had gone to such extreme lengths and was justifiably paranoid about this. These thin little vials were filled with the potential to render Tamriel extinct. It was the nature of both mer and men to war and bicker amongst themselves. If this knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, it would mean the end of hundreds of thousands of souls. Lydia now knew just how delicate the art of alchemy was. The more beneficial discoveries you made, the deadlier the discoveries you were sure to make as well, and there was no master of alchemy greater than Elewiese.

Lydia sat silently, mulling over the information she'd learned for a full minute, until finally she stood. "I understand," She said with a smile. Lydia slammed her fist into her chest and bowed her head in salute. "My Thane."

Elewiese smiled at the loyalty Lydia displayed, and she was never more proud to have the Nord as her Housecarl, companion, and friend. She trusted her completely, and would be willing to face the end of the world with her. With nothing else needing to be said on the matter, they were ready to depart. "Mount up."

* * *

Although it didn't seem fair, Lydia finally convinced Elewiese to let her take the reins so that she could navigate them to their destination while the elf got some sleep. Elewiese was guilty about this arrangement, and Lydia was nervous about it too, considering it would mean she'd likely be unable to participate in the upcoming fight, but they were left with no choice. Night had already fallen. Whatever was going to happen in Kynesgrove was happening tomorrow, and they had a lot of ground to cover.

It was difficult falling asleep with the horse galloping as hard as it was, but Elewiese took comfort in the smell of Lydia's hair and the warmth her arms felt wrapped around the Nord's waist. The sentiment that she was safe and comfortable in Lydia's presence was enough for her to drift off once more into the Aetherial plane of dreams.

Elewiese was back in her childhood home, in Valenwood, reliving one of the better, more hazy memories from her youth. She and her mother had their backs to her point of view. The smaller form sat in a high chair gathering what remained of the sweet, gooey apple preserves in a masonic jar with her hand and licking her fingers clean. Chuckling humorously, the older woman made the finishing touches and slipped the pie into the brick oven. What shocked Elewiese was as the older woman turned to tuck a stray hair behind the younger girl's ear, their faces became clear. The girl whom she assumed was her was in fact Lucia, and the memory of her mother was actually Elewiese herself.

She felt a wave of unidentifiable emotion wash over her watching her dream-self pick up Lucia and spin her around, the both of them laughing all the while. The endearing image was whisked away however, as a hair-standing roar pulled Elewiese from her slumber.

She startled, nearly to the point of falling off the horse. Luckily her anchor, Lydia, was as rigid and unmoving as ever. Elewiese quickly spun around, trying to identify the source of the commotion. A blizzard had rolled in and the wind was howling. Visibility was nearly impossible with so much snow blowing around, but Elewiese caught a glimpse of a giant black mass disappearing over the rise of the hill they rode towards.

"Lydia!" Elewiese yelled.

"I saw it! We're almost there, hang on!" Lydia's voice was hoarse, but she spurred their tired steed into one last sprint up the hill. Reaching its crest, an inn came into view that sat in between various fields of wheat and other produce. An active campground had many workers frantically running about, and among them was a familiar face. Delphine was arguing with one of the men in the camp. Lydia steered the horse into the heart of Kynesgrove, and a woman came running from the inn. "No, you don't want to go up there! A dragon…it's attacking!"

Elewiese furrowed her brows as she dismounted and looked around. "The dragon attacked?"

"Well, I don't know. Not yet... It flew over town and landed on the old dragon burial mound." The innkeeper pushed past her. "I don't know what it's doing up there, but I'm not waiting around to find out!"

Elewiese began following her to the campgrounds when she heard a rustle. She looked back to find Lydia had stumbled while dismounting the horse. Elewiese quickly rushed over to help her up. "Thank you, Elewiese." Lydia said. The elf frowned. Her Housecarl had dark circles under her eyes and she was too tired to even address her by her title as she normally did. She was in condition to fight.

Elewiese took the reins of the horse in one hand and held Lydia's with the other, pulling them towards the gathering miners and inn workers. "Lydia, I need you to stay here and protect the villagers." They'd reached the camp, and Elewiese tied the horse's reins to a post.

Lydia leaned heavily against a low stone wall. "Elewiese…" She tried.

The Thane placed a hand on her Housecarl's cheek. "Please, Lydia. It's the only way I can know these people will be safe." The Nord gave a weary sigh before snorting lightly and nodding. Elewiese stood on her tippy toes to give her a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, I promise to be careful." That seemed to ease her worries a little.

Rushing over to the camp, Elewiese caught her _friend's_ attention. "Delphine!"

The innkeeper/assassin turned from her argument with a frustrated miner in smirked. "It's about time. I was worried you'd miss all the fun."

Elewiese did not return her smile and instead addressed the one of two guards trying to keep the people from a full blown panic. "Guard!"

He glanced at her annoyed. "What is it, elf? Can't you see we have bigger problems?"

"I'm a Thane of Whiterun and Morthal." That shut him up right quick. He and his companion saluted and stood at attention. Elewiese racked her brain, trying to remember the map of the region and formulating a plan. "If the dragon attacks, take these people west to the river, and follow it north to Windhelm."

The guard nodded. "Of course, ma'am. It's as good a plan as any. What of you?"

Elewiese glanced to Delphine who gripped the hilt of her katana and laughed excitedly. "We will fell this beast." She said confidently.

The guard didn't seem too sure about that but began informing the villagers of the plan. Elewiese quickly ran over to the horse and removed the parcel from the pack. Casting the appropriate spell, she slid the lid off to reveal a gauntlet and a utility belt. The gauntlet gleamed like gold and was wide on the back hand side with a complex contraption on the wrist of the palm side. Elewiese quickly secured the gauntlet to her left hand and strapped the utility belt around her waist, not even bothering to replace it with the belt of her adept robes.

Delphine walked over and groaned impatiently. "Are you done yet?"

Elewiese hummed happily, the weight and balance of her body finally feeling normal with her shield on her wrist, her kit over her chest, and her spear shrunk at her hip. After weeks of slogging her way through the Skyrim tundra, just picking whatever weapons she found, she was finally fully equipped again. Elewiese allowed herself to smile this time. "Ready."

The camp fell silent of conversations as another roar sounded from atop the hill behind the inn. Elewiese nodded to Delphine and the two began walking up the hill.

"Elewiese!" Lydia called out. She looked back to see the Housecarl holding a longbow emblazoned with carvings. "Your bow!"

Elewiese chuckled. "Don't worry Lydia." The elf reached into the small quiver on her belt and withdrew a steel bolt the size of a quill. She twirled it in between her fingers, loaded it into the contraption on her wrist, and pulled back the mechanism to pressurize the chamber. "I've got it covered."

* * *

"Sahloknir, _di_ _fron_ _briinah_ , _naani lost nust dreh wah hi_ (my dear sister, what have the done to you)?" It was a sentiment Alduin had shared at the gravesite of every sibling he'd resurrected thus far, but it was especially painful as he faced the Phantom Sky Huntress. Beautiful Sahloknir, whose kind heart and cleverness would only take her so far. No doubt the mortals who murdered her exploited the weakness of her emotions. No matter. Alduin had returned, the mortals would be enslaved once more, and all would be made right again as the _dovah_ returned, stronger than ever.

"Alduin _Thuri (_ Overlord _)! Joorre bo nol tum (_ Mortals approach from below _)!_ " Hevnojot lowered his altitude, coming to a hover right next to Alduin. He nodded down the hill, and even through the blizzard the World Eater could make out an all too familiar aura trapped inside one of the mortal bodies.

Alduin growled. " _Dein nol fin filok_ (Cut off their escape), Hevnojot _._ They came to see the spectacle of our sister's rebirth, so we shall let them."

* * *

The wheather was as bad as any Elewiese had yet seen in Skyrim. Only the Throat of the World could compare as a more torturous situation, but somehow that didn't even matter. A dragon was on the rise of the very hill she climbed. Each step she took sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins. Every roar from the magnificent beast ahead stoked the fire in her soul. It was that warmth in her breast that kept her going. Elewiese raised a hand to keep the snow from blowing into her face. She could scarcely see more than a couple yards in front of her, but a light shone through the frosty veil. She vaguely heard Delphine groan against the inclement weather, but she just had to assume the Nord was hardy enough to drudge ahead towards the light, as Elewiese was doing.

Guttural voices spoke in an archaic language to one another somewhere up ahead. Elewiese recognized the words as _dovahzul_ , making her ears twitch as they always did when hearing the oddly nostalgic language. She tried her hardest to make out the words, but her lack of understanding and the wind whistling around her prevented any discernible phrases. The blizzard was growing worse, as though it were pushing back against her as she drew closer to the top of the hill. Oddly enough, what lie ahead was becoming clearer, and she soon found out why.

Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Elewiese stumbled through a barrier and into the storm's center. The elf caught her breath on her hands and knees, difficult as it was because of the atmosphere in the eye of the storm. It was like being atop the Throat of the World again with the air being so very thin. Elewiese shook her auburn hair free of frost, then looked up to the insistent flapping of ginormous wings. What she saw made her jaw drop.

Elewiese was expecting a dragon, but she wasn't expecting _the_ dragon. The black dragon that hunted her in her dreams. He who saved her life in Helgen and killed so many innocent people in the process. His eyes met hers, and Elewiese knew he remembered her. She thought she saw the corners of his maw lift, as though there were a joke unbeknownst to Elewiese, but not him.

All too quickly, Elewiese realized that it was in fact she who was the butt of the joke. A second dragon came in low and fast, using the road Elewiese and Delphine come from as a landing strip. The elf grabbed her mysterious companion by the shoulder and quickly pulled her back just in time for the beast to crash through the blizzard and land with an earth-shuddering thud. Its grayish blue body was even smaller the Mirmulnir's, roughly the size of a stage coach, horses and all. He snarled while darting between Elewiese and Delphine with his reptilian green eyes. " _Krif zu'u joorre!_ "

Elewiese didn't quite catch that one, but the dragon seemed eager and ready to pounce on them. That is until the black dragon that still dominated the sky spoke. "Enough _,_ Hevnojot _._ _Dreh_ not attackuntil _nust lost miin un_ sister arise _."_

"As you _hind, Thuri_." The second dragon growled reluctantly.

With furrowed brows, Elewiese struggled to understand the dragons. She understood fragments of what they said but couldn't quite discern what it was they were talking about. All the while the light that had guided her to the hilltop had grown brighter, seeping from the ground and rising towards the sky. The massive black dragon returned his attention to the gravesite. "Sahloknir _, hi lost aan mid_ servent _. Aan zu'u_ _nu_ for all eternity."

Elewiese finally roused enough sense to recognize something was happening. She ran for the burial mound. A growl was heard from behind, but the dragon apparently valued keeping them from escaping rather than running towards certain doom. "Hey! What are you doing, wait!"

"I have _saraan lingrah_ enough, _Dovahkiin_." He replied with barely a glance in her direction. " _SLEN TIID VO!_ " Elewiese recognized a change in the tone of his voice as he spoke Words of Power. The effect of his Shout slammed into the ground, tossing and churning the dirt. A moment later, something burst forth from the soil; a humongous skeleton that crawled and shuddered. A dragon's roar joined the other two present, although this one had Elewiese sinking to her knees and made tears fall from her eyes, as the screech from this new dragon was all pain and horror. Quite literally the opposite effect of what happened to Mirmulnir in Whiterun, happened to the dragon before Elewiese. Light solidified all around the clearing into millions of little embers. The tiny lights then all swarmed onto the skeletal dragon, coagulating into muscle and sinew, hide and scales. The dragon's craggy screech turned into a more feminine sounding scream. The process was clearly plainly for her. As the final ember settled into the dragon's hide, a gleam seemed to envelope her body, but quickly disappeared, completing the dragon's resurrection. She collapsed, breathing heavily.

Elewiese rose to her feet, shakily, and held a hand over her mouth. "By the gods…" She was vaguely aware of the black dragon above watching her every move, but Elewiese could only concentrate on one thing as she moved towards the new dragon. "You are so beautiful…" She said truthfully.

Sahloknir was more lithe than the other dragons Elewiese had met. She had smooth, snowy white scales across her body and few of the jagged spikes Elewiese had come to expect of all dragons. Hers were only present on her neck, feet, and the tip of her tail. Sahloknir was more akin to a serpent than the more lizard-like anatomies of the other two dragons in the clearing.

On raw instinct, Elewiese felt her body tugging itself forward. She reached out a shaky hand, inches from Sahloknir's snout. When she finally laid her hand over the warm, smooth scales, it was as though a jolt of lightning arced through her entire body. Without even thinking of the repercussions, Elewiese pressed her whole body into Sahloknir, embracing her snout and rubbing her cheek against the hide that radiated heat. Her mind turned fuzzy from her first experience touching a dragon, as opposed to stabbing one with daggers and riding it like a bronco. Elewiese let a out a low purr.

"Alduin, _Thuri!_ " Hevnojot protested.

"Dragonborn!" Delphine voiced at the same time. They were here to kill these beasts, and she was snuggling with one of them?!

The two callouts overlapped one another, forcing the both of them to return to their glaring contest. High above, Alduin grew more and more frustrated. Not with the Dragonborn, no, but rather his father. He would never understand why Akatosh would stoop to granting mortals a soul that rightfully belonged to a _dovah_. Despite his feelings towards all mortals, he found himself pitying this one. Her soul would always force her into aspiring to greatness, but her mortal form would ensure she would always fall short. It'd be better to kill her now, return the soul to the _dov_ by having one of the lesser dragons below devour her. "Sahloknir! _Alok!_ "

Sahloknir slowly opened one eye, but what she saw quickly made both of them go wide. A mortal was caressing their body against her snout. It stared dizzily and directly into her icy blue reptilian eyes. Sahloknir felt her snout vibrate lightly as the mortal purred against her skin.

The dragon quickly swiped its neck to the side, throwing Elewiese a couple yards back. "Ow!" She yelped as she landed on her tail. She quickly rolled off it and began rubbing circles over her rear, trying to ease the pain of her tail nearly being yanked off when she hit the ground. Regaining her senses from whatever possessed her to touch the dragon, Elewiese voiced her unease. "Hey! What was that for?"

Sahloknir was baffled. "What do you think you're doing, _ruth fahliil?!_ " She took a step forward but quickly caught the mortal's scent. Her eyes went wide and she retreated the step she took, followed by another. " _Dovahkiin?_ " Sahloknir quickly scanned her surroundings and found the black mass in the sky. "Alduin, _Thuri! Fos los daar? Boaan tiid_ return us _suleyksejun_ glory?"

Elewiese was still only catching fragments of the conversations, but a few things were now clear. The first dragon, whom Elewiese encountered in Helgen, was going around resurrecting the other dragons. Judging by his size and the deferment the other dragons had shown to him, he was clearly important, perhaps their leader. Lastly, if he was the leader, then he was either directly responsible for the dragon attacks that have been happening or he's allowing other dragons to perform them. All in all, Elewiese was starting to worry if maybe the part of her that was Dragonborn _was_ in fact deceiving her.

" _Geh,_ Sahloknir, _fron briinah._ " The _Thuri_ , as he'd been referenced so many times, turned to address Elewiese directly. " _Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Hi aal_ have our soul _, nuz zu'u_ see none _nol_ dragonkindin you _._ "

Elewiese swallowed hard. She got the gist of what he'd said. She was not one of them. He was right of course, so why did her heart clench so painfully at his dismissal?

"I can see it in your eyes," He snorted arrogantly. Elewiese was shocked as the dragon now spoke Tamrielic, her own language. "You can scarcely understand us. Tell us, mighty _Dovahkiin_ , what is your name?"

"My…" Her voice came out as a whisper. Elewiese inhaled deeply to steel her nerves. "My name is Elewiese!" She spoke loudly. The two dragons on the ground erupted in laughter at that for some reason. The black dragon that flapped his wings to effortlessly keep himself afloat looked to the sky and gave a slight chuckle. "Who are you?" The laughs all stopped. Elewiese glanced at Sahloknir and Hevnojot to find them glaring at her. Looking back to the _Thuri,_ she discovered he too was glaring at her with those eyes like red hot coals.

"To not even know the name of your Overlord… Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of _Dovah_."He said the words with such hate, Elewiese was reminded of why she had nightmares of him.

This was not going well, but Elewiese had to try and do what she cane her to do. Otherwise, she really was a murderer. "Sir dragon…or _Thuri_ , I guess… I represent the vested interest of the people of Tamriel, namely those here in Skyrim." She swallowed hard and looked the behemoth in the eye. "I beseech that you and all of dragonkind cease your attacks on the innocent people of this land so that both our peoples might live in peace."

"Dragonborn! They must be destroyed!" Delphine yelled. Ignoring how stupid a statement that was while surrounded by three dragons, Elewiese turned and gave her the same look she had at the inn in Riverwood, and again she recoiled.

"Enough, Delphine. I came here for my own reasons." The mysterious innkeeper grew bolder, replacing her shocked expression at Elewiese's demeanor to a glare. The elf would deal with her later. For now… Elewiese returned her attention to the mass hovering above her and dropped all pretense of formality. "Please…" She begged. "We don't have to be enemies. We can coexist, we can work together!"

The dragon's immediate reaction was disgust, something that alarmed Elewiese, but a cruel smile replaced his expression as he mulled over her. "Yes, we can work together, can't we?"

Sahloknir's eyes went wide as she realized what Alduin meant. " _Thuri!_ Surely you don't mean to-" The World Eater silenced the lesser dragon with a hiss. Instinctually, she lowered her head.

Elewiese's eyes shone with excitement. "Really?! You believe we can-"

" _THAARN!_ " The Shout slammed into a completely unprepared Elewiese. Immediately her legs felt like gelatin. Her eyesight became fuzzy and it was difficult to think. Instinctually, her blood told her that all the dragon had done was tell to 'obey', but with the weight of his knowledge behind it, a new voice creeped into Elewiese's mind, doing battle with her reason and sensibility.

 _Just give in. I'm a mortal, I deserve to be enslaved._ No. No, I'm my own person. I will forge my own destiny, no matter what path Akatosh put me on. _But Father gave me the soul of a dragon. That soul belongs to the rest of dragonkind, and to my Thuri._ I can't. I won't! It's my life and no one else's!

Elewiese stumbled around dizzily, placing her hands on her head. She sensed a writhing feeling in her arms and looked at them to find black _dovahzul_ script snaking around her arms. Elewiese felt that same sensation wrapping its way around her throat. Just looking at the words, she knew they spoke of submission and being dominated.

"Obey, _Dovahkiin._ " Elewiese vaguely heard the black dragon speak from above. "Obey, and be spared the fate that awaits all mortals. Your body is a hindrance, but your soul I'm capable of bending to my will. Now, as your _Thuri,_ I command you to obey!"

He was binding her. Elewiese had bound many a dremora to her service, but she never imagined she'd be on the receiving end. "No…" She muttered. Her legs were growing heavier and heavier. Elewiese knew if she kneeled before this dragon, she never again get up of her own free will.

"Obey…"

 _Just give in…_

"It will be over soon…"

 _This is what you were meant for…_

Elewiese groaned. The script on her arms and neck swirled tighter, so tight she couldn't breathe. There were so many voices, none of them hers. If she could just find the will to speak, to talk… If she could just find her voice… Her Voice… _Hers._

The will to stand was almost completely gone, and she heard the dragon in the air laugh in triumph. But there was a whisper from within, the faintest of noises that distinguished itself from the maelstrom of other voices. Elewiese tried to mimic it. "W-Wu…" The voices grew quieter but she could still barely breathe. "Wul…" She concentrated on shutting everything else out, just as Arngeir had taught her. Elewiese emptied her mind of everything but her inner voice, her _Thu'um._ She ignored the pain in her throat as she sucked in a breath of air, and Shouted as hard as she could, proving to all that her Voice would not be contained, nor bound, nor silenced. " _WULD!_ "

A sound like shattering glass resounded throughout the clearing as the marks disappeared from her skin. Elewiese shot forward, stumbling painfully, as balance was the furthest thing from her mind when she Shouted. She tried to catch her breath and silently nursed her hands and knees that were torn up and stinging from the fall. All the while, the three dragons stared at the elf's body with wide eyes.

Sahloknir's maw hung open. Never had anyone refused to submit to Alduin's direct _Thu'um._ Yes, the Dragonborn was a mortal, but both legend and the weight of history had proven that none with the soul of a dragon could resist submission to the First Born. Could her _Thu'um_ truly be…stronger?

All the _dov_ could do was wait and watch as Elewiese rose, shakily. It was not fatigue that made her limbs shudder though, but rather pure unadulterated rage. Elewiese rose to full height and met the black dragon's eyes with her own. He saw something new in her glare, a glow that illuminated her red and gold eyes. It was anger and hatred and a sense of betrayal the likes of which only Alduin himself knew. It shocked him.

What shocked him even more was what happened next. Elewiese reached into the case on her belt, loaded two more bolts into the open chambers on her gauntlets, and raised her hand. As fast as lightning strikes, three bolts punctured the hide of Alduin's thigh, and he roared in pain.

"Sahloknir, Hevnojot!" The black dragon now returned the mortal's glare, twofold. " _Krii daar joorre!_ "

* * *

Lore notes –

Big big schtickler here, my friends! In the lore of the elder scrolls, dragons are monogendered. That means there are no female dragons and no male dragons, just _dragons_ dragons. Dragons also do not reproduce; every single dragon in existence was created by Akatosh, the first being Alduin. But I'm sitting here thinking to myself that I want Elewiese to care about her extended family, you know? That's hard to do when I get attacked by Blood Dragon every time I fast travel to Dawnstar. I can understand why they made the lore the way they did; the dragons in the game are primal beasts and forces of nature that need to be stopped, ergo they don't need a lot of character development. However by introducing males, females, pairs, and family ties between those of the dragon blood, it creates this big juicy steak of opportunity when it comes to the story and identity of dragons. For those of you big into modding communities, I'd recommend checking out the Diverse Dragons Collection (DDC) because from a roleplaying standpoint, it just makes the race of dragons come to life. This is my way of attempting something like that, so if you end up reading about like a storm dragon that breathes lightning, don't wet yourself unless it's from excitement.

;D


	11. Chapter 11

**An Elf Like No Other**

* * *

Chapter 11 - Culling the Brutal Maw

* * *

"Sahloknir, Hevnojot! _Krii daar joorre!_ "

Things escalated quickly from there. Hevnojot abandoned the opponent in front of him and charged directly for Elewiese. Delphine had to dive out of his way, but she could not recover in time to strike as he passed her. Sahloknir rolled her eyes at her fellow dragon's bullheaded approach and instead took flight, circling high above and studying Delphine for weaknesses.

Elewiese vaguely registered that the smallest of the three _dov_ was quickly approaching, but her anger at the black dragon only intensified as he flew away. "Coward!" She accused at the top of her lungs. His only response was to look behind, under his wingspan, to give one last glare and a snarl.

" _Hi los fin nikriin, joor!_ " Hevnojot reared back on his legs. "For your insolence, I will destroy you in the name of my _Thuri!_ " He brought down his claws to where the elf stood with the intent to smash her out of existence. Elewiese noticed the towering shadow that enveloped her and dove backwards. She was nearly thrown off balance as Hevnojot came down on the earth, but she managed to slide under his legs and put some distance between them without being swatted by his tail.

Hevnojot was slow to turn around. He could have just taken flight and landed again to face her faster, but Elewiese wasn't about to give him any tips. She instead used the time to load three more shots into the boltcaster on her wrist. By the time she'd reloaded and pressurized the chambers, she was again face to face with her brother in blood and soul. "Stand and fight, _joor!_ " Hevnojot growled.

Elewiese shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

A chuckle came from the dragon. "Good." Elewiese recognized the telltale signs of an incoming breath attack. Hevnojot inhaled deeply and lolled his head back slightly. Elewiese clenched her left fist twice, the command for the golden metal of her gauntlet to expand and spiral out from the center. In seconds a magnificent round-shield was strapped to the back of her gauntlet, the depiction of feminine hands holding a rosebud hammered into the metal. The Lady of the Elixirs crouched down behind the cover of her shield just in time. " _YOL TOR SHUL!_ "

The fire hit her with the force of the blizzard before, only the difference in temperature varied wildly. The flames washed over and around the shield, but not under, completely enveloping the air around Elewiese in fire. "Dragonborn!" She heard off in the distance. Elewiese hadn't seen any sign of Sahloknir since she began sparring with Hevnojot. She quickly removed a Gladiator Elixir from her bandolier with her free hand and downed it, all the while hoping her illusive associate would be able to hold her own for just a bit longer.

Delphine was crouching behind a rock when she witnessed the supposed Dragonborn be roasted alive. So much for that plan. Still she'd been in tougher situations, but not many. " _FO KRAH DIIN!_ " She peaked around her cover just in time to see a swath of subzero frost falling upon her and dove away. The resurrected dragon laughed as she soared overhead. "Hiding will not save you!"

Delphine growled in defiance. "And you couldn't land an attack to save your life!"

Sahloknir's eyes narrowed. She banked around and landed surprisingly gently and gracefully for a several ton beast. "I see that mortals have become arrogant while I slept." She reared her head back and gave her mightiest battle roar. "Come and face me, then!"

Delphine grinned. The arrogant beast thought to best her on the ground? Fat chance. Delphine was one of the most talented blade-masters of her organization, at least back when it was active.

Sahloknir slithered close to the ground and closed the distance quickly like she seemed capable of doing. She gnashed her teeth at the mortal only to narrowly miss and earn a cut from the woman's unique blade. Sahloknir recognized the design and hissed while rearing back. "Damn you, Akaviri warrior!" The exchange occurred several more times, Sahloknir taking the blows as they came. They were nothing compared to the fatigue the Nord built up by diving and somersaulting from every attack she made.

Delphine was starting to slow down. From a sparring standpoint, she was winning by a mile. But this wasn't a spar; it was a fight to the death, and she was starting to tire. This was made apparent to both parties when she dodged an attack from the dragon, but not far enough. With no time to react further, Sahloknir managed to swing her head, batting aside Delphine and knocking her to the ground. She was slow to get up.

Sahloknir loomed over the all but defeated woman and cackled smugly. "My Voice has been silent for too long! Hear it and despair!"

Knots burned in Delphine's muscles and her breathing was labored. The fight and the atmosphere in the center of the storm had taken nearly everything she was capable of. Delphine simply watched as Sahloknir inhaled, readying the shout that would encase her in frost, another frozen corpse in the tundra to be rediscovered in the springtime when the ice melted. The cold didn't bother most Nords, but a dragon's breath could chill even the sturdiest of Skyrim's winter beasts. She'd lost the fight. Nothing she could do now. There was a certain pride in dying to such powerful creature. She'd spent years worrying about when the Thalmor would get around to tracking her down. Delphine closed her eyes and exhaled, for the last time… Or so she thought.

" _FO KRAH DI-_ "

" _FUS!_ " Sahloknir was thrown off balance, and Delphine's eyes went wide as she looked over to see Elewiese recovering from her Shout. The edges of her adept robes were singed and soot covered her face.

Elewiese had withstood Hevnojot's fire, and as soon as she felt a break in his relentless Shout, she extended her spear and charged at him. The small greenish dragon was surprised, but not so much he could not defend himself as Elewiese attacked. She was vaguely aware of a few embers still nipping at the corners of her robe, but there wasn't really time to deal with that. Hevnojot batted at her with his head, expecting to toss the elf about like a rag doll. He was not prepared for her shield wall to be so unmovable however, and ended up dazing himself. Elewiese took the opportunity to lunge, cutting up his snout and nostril pretty bad. Hevnojot roared and spun around in pain, leveling trees and sending boulders rolling. Elewiese backed off to avoid the rampage and glanced over to see how Delphine was faring. Her eyes went as she saw the innkeeper on the ground with Sahloknir looking down at her, about to freeze her solid. Making a split second decision, she quickly used Unrelenting Force on her.

The force of her Shout was weak, as she only used the first Word of Power, but she concentrated it on Sahloknir's head, resulting in an effect similar to being punched in the face. The dragon's breath attack went wide, missing Delphine by a couple feet. The snowy white dragoness stumbled, dazed from the direct hit of the Shout on her head. The Nord saw the opportunity and mustered the last of her strength. She charged at the unsuspecting Sahloknir and landed her first real strike, sinking her blade into the neck of the beast.

Sahloknir wailed in pain, drawing the attention of both Elewiese and Hevnojot. The dragon stumbled around, trying to shake off the mortal that had wounded her, screaming in agony the entire time. In Delphine's weakened state, she could not hold on for long and decided to kick off from the wound she'd made with as much force as possible. She did so while removing her blade with a sickening _schlick._ Sahloknir toppled from the pain and force of the blow. Both she and Delphine were in a race to see who could recover first, and it looked like Delphine was going to win. Her smaller body ensured she was on her feet as fast as her fatigue would allow.

The Nord raised her sword high, ready to drive it into the downed dragon. _This is it,_ she thought to herself. _One final strike._ She began charging, but paused when she heard a horrendous streak followed by her name.

Elewiese and Hevnojot had been watching the scene with horror filled eyes. The elf felt the dragon next to her tense as he readied to charge and go to the aid of their sister, but Elewiese had to keep his attention. She made a jab at the leg that was closest to her which effectively drew his attention. As he turned his head, Elewiese bashed her shield into his jaw, no doubt fracturing it. Whatever worry Hevnojot had for Sahloknir was quickly replaced by rage for the mortal that was beating on him. Elewiese on the other hand kept the majority of her attention on what was happening on the other side of the clearing. While dangerous, her worry proved warranted as she noticed Sahloknir stumble and Delphine raise her sword. She wasn't sure why, but again Elewiese acted on instinct. "No, Delphine! Stop!" She screamed.

The Nord looked to her like she was crazy. Sahloknir took advantage of her opponent's distraction, much like Delphine had. " _WUD NAH KEST!_ " She used the speed of her Shout to put lift under her wings, rising her into the air once more. Sahloknir soared up into a loop de loop, using the momentum to swing her tail down, catching Delphine in the chest with the barbed tip. The Nord flew back several yards, slamming into a tree and slumping over, blood dripping down her left shoulder.

Elewiese was surprised at the skillful attack the wounded Sahloknir had managed to pull together, all in a matter of seconds. However, she now had a wounded, possibly dying, Delphine to worry about. She needed to end this fight. She needed the dragons to leave. Luckily, as a shadow loomed over her, the opportunity to force them into doing so presented itself. Elewiese looked back to Hevnojot who was now reared back and ready to try and smash her again. "You are next, _joor!_ "

"No," She muttered. "You're next. _FUS RO!_ " Elewiese put everything she had had behind the Shout, and while it was still relatively weak, it was enough to topple Hevnojot in his unbalanced position. The dragon fell backwards and lay dazed on his back. Elewiese hopped up onto the widest part of his chest and raised her spear. She noticed out of the corner of her eye Sahloknir approaching the wounded Delphine. She needed to keep both of their attentions. "Sahloknir, Hevnojot!" The dragoness turned, and her eyes went wide seeing the position her fellow dragon was in. Hevnojot was still dazed but managed to lift his head. He stiffened, realizing his predicament. "This has to end before someone loses their life! Please!" Elewiese's lower lip trembled and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to fight you; I never did! Please, just leave this place!"

Sahloknir studied the elf. Here she was, spear leveled at Hevnojot's heart, ready to end his life and devour his soul, but instead of finishing him off, she was offering them the chance to leave? Sahloknir couldn't pinpoint why, but the _Dovahkiin's_ expression reminded her of herself, mere moments before she had died millennia ago. She truly had no desire to harm them, so why were they fighting? The dragoness glanced guiltily at the unconscious Nord she'd defeated before stepping closer to her _dovah_ siblings. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hevnojot beat her to the punch.

" _Mey fahliil!_ You have no master and would not understand. My lord Alduin requires your death, and I am glad to oblige him!" Hevnojot opened his maw to breath fire upon the mortal once more, but Elewiese stopped him before he even began by driving her spear into his chest. The dragon roared but it splintered off into a dying screech as the elf twisted the spear even further into his body, no doubt through his heart. Hevnojot's eyes went wide, his head crashed backwards and his tongue hung limply out of his mouth. With one final gurgle, he was gone.

Elewiese pulled back removing her spear from Hevnojot's body. Her face had remained stony the entire time with her eyes hidden by her bangs. The only indication she felt any emotion at all were the tears that rained profusely down her cheeks. She dismounted his body and walked a few steps in Sahloknir and Delphine's direction. She dropped her spear and removed her shield before falling to her knees.

The familiar crinkling of embers sounded behind her, but Elewiese didn't need to look back to know what was happening. "Hevnojot! No!" Sahloknir's eyes were wide with horror as she witnessed her fellow dragon's body vaporize into a luminescent aura, then delve into the _Dovahkiin's_ body.

Sahloknir's outburst roused Delphine from her unconscious state just long enough for her to catch sight of the Dragonborn absorbing the soul of one of the dragons. "Gods above…" She took a moment to laugh, which pained her chest. "So you really are... I... it's true, isn't it? You really are Dragonborn." Delphine marveled to herself before passing out again.

Elewiese felt the same euphoria as she did at the watchtower in Whiterun, but she took no pleasure in it this time. Her heart ached too much. The experience and language of the dragon she had slain swam through her mind, but underlying it all was the guilt at taking his life.

Sahloknir was furious. She stomped as she approached the _Dovahkiin._ She might've lunged at her then and there if she hadn't smelled what she did in the air. Salt. Sahloknir's nostrils twitched as she inhaled and found that the source was from Elewiese. The girl's form shuddered, shocking Sahloknir as she realized she was in fact sobbing…at Hevnojot's demise? So it was true. She really had no desire to be their enemy. The dragoness furrowed her brow. _Damn you, Alduin._ She approached the crying girl. "You killed him." Sahloknir stated.

Elewiese looked up, her unique eyes bloodshot and nose moist. " _Rok ofan zu'u voth nid miiraad_ (He left me with no alternative)."

Sahloknir was surprised that her response was in _dovahzul_ , but it wasn't all that shocking considering what she'd just absorbed. The lady dragon merely sighed at her brother's demise and began turning away.

Elewiese noticed this and grew upset. " _Fos_ (What)," She cried angrily. " _Hi nid fus zu'u krii hi wah_ (You won't force me to kill you too)?" Elewiese fell to another series of sobs, but she gasped when Sahloknir's snout appeared right in front of her face.

Elewiese stumbled backwards, thinking she'd changed her mind and really had decided to try and kill her. Her surprise only multiplied when Sahloknir caressed her cheeks free of tears with the smooth scales of her face. Elewiese stared with wide eyes as the dragon retreated slightly to get a better look at her. " _Til lost kos pogaan sos rek voth zeymah het_ (There has been enough blood shed amongst siblings today)." Sahloknir's beautiful blue eyes met Elewiese's gaze, her visage sad and tired.

The elf's lip trembled and she slowly raised a hand to touch the dragon's snout, but Sahloknir pulled away before she could. The _dovah_ pushed off the ground and took flight, traveling in the same direction the _Thuri_ , Alduin, had.

Elewiese sighed. " _Fos nu_ (What now)?" _Ah, crap. Not this again!_ Elewiese only now realized she was again speaking the dragon language. She tried to recall how she stopped it last time, and remember that she began with a Shout. The elf put a finger on her chin trying to think of which to use. It was then that she realized, she now had an understanding of the word she'd discovered in Ustengrav. 'Fade', was it? From what she now understood, it rendered her body incorporeal for a few moments. Only one way to find out.

" _FEIM!_ " Elewiese felt her body shift and she looked down to see she was transparent, like a ghost. "Whoa!" She exclaimed. Elewiese noticed that she had returned to speaking normally, but the majority of her concentration was centered on her phantomlike complexion. Thankfully, her body returned to normal after just a few seconds. She sighed in relief and just to be sure she was back to normal, she sang that same nursery rhyme her mother used to put her to bed with, picking up where she left off last time. " _We were running still, had the whole world at our feet…_ "

Elewiese took a steady, tired breath. The blizzard had let up, possibly because one of the dragon's had been the one to stir it up and was now gone. Walking over to Delphine, she stopped and slung the woman's uninjured arm over her shoulder and carried her down the hill. She did not look back at Hevnojot's body once, for fear she'd break down all over again.

* * *

Sahloknir landed in Skuldafn, the sound of which reverberated off the tall mountains that surrounded it. She felt a myriad of emotions being back here. The temple was in ruins, with the stone facades crumbling and weeds poking up through the cracked courtyards. It seemed unreal to Sahloknir. It had been maybe a decade since the mortals' rebellion separated her from any chance of returning to the main stronghold of the dragons, but the illusion of death played tricks on even a _dovah's_ sense of time. The reality of the matter was that it had been millennia since she'd set foot here. Even that being the case, she could still recall the sense of community she felt here, surrounded by dragonlings trotting around under foot and mated pairs nested in stoops on the cliff side. Seeing the mighty Skuldafn in such barren disrepair made her sad and angry, but mostly sad.

Alduin watched her as she landed and took in the expanse of their once great home. "Sahloknir." She did not look to him immediately as she was still lost in her memories. "Sahloknir!" He called a little louder, finally grabbing her attention. She startled slightly before bowing her head to the _Thuri._ "Were you victorious? Where is Hevnojot?"

Sahloknir's head hung even lower, though it was more out of sadness than shame. "He is dead. Killed by the _Dovahkiin._ "

Alduin gripped the edge of his crumbling perch. "What?" His eyes narrowed on Sahloknir. "And you just let her get away with it? I told you to kill those mortals!"

The dragoness let out a tired breath and glanced sideways. "Her _Thu'um_ is strong. Stronger than me at least. I would not have been able to defeat her."

Alduin leapt down to the courtyard Sahloknir sat in and circled her. "Then why is you are not dead as well?"

"She let me go." The dragon met her _Thuri's_ eyes. "Don't you see, Alduin? She doesn't want to fight us. She gave Hevnojot every chance to back down, but only when he refused did she kill him."

"So, Hevnojot was loyal to the very end." He glared at her. "Unlike you."

Sahloknir scoffed. "What would you have preferred, Alduin? That I march to my grave, mere moments after escaping it, and deprive you of yet another tool to restore your lost glory-"

Sahloknir's sarcastic demeanor turned fearful as Alduin lunged at her, placing his claws under her wings and his teeth at her throat. Sahloknir swallowed hard and closed her eyes, expecting him to end her then and there. Instead, Alduin relaxed, carefully removing his maw from her throat. She heard him give a tiresome sigh as he sat back and caressed her neck with his own. Sahloknir was shocked. Alduin had never displayed such softness in the old days. "Your death would have brought me great sadness, sister, much like Hevnojot's has." He retreated and walked to the edge of the terrace they stood on to glance over some of the lower courtyards. "Worry not. All will be made right when our reign is restored."

Sahloknir shook her head with irritation. "Why did you bring me back, Alduin? I died because I grew tired of fighting the mortals. I didn't want to kill anyone else over an age long past, and yet you brought me back anyway. Why?"

Alduin didn't even bother to look at her again. "It's as you say sister. You're still of use to me."

Sahloknir scoffed again in disbelief. "I suppose that's all that really matters in the end. 'What's of use to you'."

Alduin sat on the edge of the terrace with closed eyes, trying to remember the laughter and joy that used to fill Skuldafn. "Yes." He stated with no emotion. "Keep an eye on the _Dovahkiin._ Inform me of her progress."

Sahloknir wanted to cry she was so frustrated. There was a finality to Alduin's tone, but one thing above all else made her sick to her stomach; something she had to ask him about. "You tried to bind her soul." The First Born said nothing. How could he? Sahloknir was there; she heard it with her own ears. There was no denying the accusation. "You failed."

A deep rumble rolled across the terrace as Alduin growled. Again, Sahloknir assumed she was dead, but no death came. "She is not one of us." Was his response.

A lie, plain and simple. They both knew it, or perhaps Alduin had convinced himself otherwise. Sahloknir made no further mention of this, nor what the implications of the _Dovahkiin_ resisting his _Thu'um_ entailed. She knew pressing Alduin any further than she already had would most certainly put her at risk. However, it made her wonder… "You still tried. Can the rest of us expect such treatment?"

The World-Eater felt his sister's eyes scrutinizing his every move. He looked over his shoulder with his burning eyes. "Only those who test my patience."

Sahloknir winced as once again, the instincts in her blood forced her neck to bow. She honestly didn't know what to make of Alduin. He was different than she remembered. She would have to speak with the others he had resurrected to try and get their read on him. For now though, she would obey her _Thuri._ "I will do as you wish." Sahloknir unfurled her wings, ready to take flight, but not before glancing one last time at him. "I hate you, brother." She said before taking off.

Alduin merely sat a while longer in Skuldafn, listening to the winds whistle as they blew over the ruins of his dead empire.

* * *

"Ow!" Lydia flinched as her finger got caught in the mechanism of Elewiese's shield. She'd been handling it as the golden metal spiraled out, once again framing the emblem of the Lady of the Elixirs on its face. The Housecarl scrutinized the scratch she had earned before sucking the minor amount of blood away.

Elewiese finally cracked a smile, shaking her head at Lydia's foolishness. "I told you to watch your fingers."

The Nord smiled slyly that her plan to cheer up Elewiese was working. Her Thane had been distraught ever since she returned from the dragon burial site. Lydia thought she might've been worried about Delphine, but Elewiese seemed more focused brewing a remedy for her new 'friend' then she had since walking back down the hill. As soon as she determined the woman would live, she placed her in a bed at the Braidwood Inn, courtesy of the proprietor Iddra, and sat near the fire in the main hall, staring into it with melancholy.

"My Lady?" Lydia ventured. "Are you alright?" Her level of distress wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been when they'd left Riverwood, but the Nord's heart still ached for her.

Elewiese glanced up to Lydia, before shaking her head and returning her attention to the fire. "I killed a dragon. Another one."

Lydia almost wanted to hoist the elf up onto her shoulders, shouting that it was fantastic news. Her Thane's expression said it would be unwise. She knelt at her feet. Perhaps something else had happened; something she didn't want to share… Regardless, "Everyone in Kynesgrove is safe because of you, Thane." Lydia pat her hand.

That earned at least a dry smile from Elewiese. "I know, Lydia. Thank you."

The Housecarl bit her lip and sighed. She reached behind her to grab Elewiese shield. She'd ordered Lydia to retrieve it as she carried Delphine to the inn. "I brought your shield back."

She snorted in amusement. "You'd think I'd keep better track of it after all the trouble we went through to get it back." Elewiese examined the face of her greatest invention. Lydia noticed her expression grew sadder as she ran a hand over the scorch marks. If something didn't change quickly, Lydia would be dealing with the same depressed companion she had road all the way to Riften with.

"Say, Shaudrey and Maximus tried to explain how this thing worked to me." She flicked an edge of the shield, a light ring sounding throughout the hall. "But I get the feeling they didn't really know what they were talking about." Lydia put on her best pouty-face. "Can you tell me how it works?"

Elewiese bit her cheek to keep from laughing at how cute Lydia looked when she begged. "Fine, but I may not be able to make you understand." She told Lydia how squeezing the hand of the gauntlet activated the shield. The Nord did so, two times to shrink it and twice more to expand it again, thus leading to the predicament that now had Lydia sucking on her finger like a child.

"Right, right. Watching the fingers." She waved her hand back and forth several times trying to settle the stinging sensation. She collapsed the shield once more to get her first good look at the gauntlet it sprang from. Its design wasn't unlike that of dwarven handwear that Lydia had seen before, only the patterns on this gauntlet had fewer hard ridges and more of the swirls attributed to elven armormake. It was a lighter color than dwarven metal as well, closer to gold. It was impressive, even just by itself and completely ignoring the inventions on the front and back of the forearm.

Lydia scrutinized the small cylindrical plate-like contraption that collapsed or expanded into a shield. She more or less understood what it was, if not how it worked. She instead turned her attention to the wrist on the palm side. Three hollow rods with more swirling patterns bunched up and connected to some kind of thin metal bottle. Elewiese noticed her Housecarl's knit expression. "Bolts are loaded into these chambers," She explained, tapping the rods. "And they're pushed out by this." She pointed to the miniature canister they connected to. "Nine shots per cartridge. Then I have to reload that too." Elewiese reached down under her chair to grab the utility belt she had discarded along with the rest of her gear. She showed Lydia the extra cartridges.

"It powers them? Like a crossbow?" Lydia asked.

Elewiese shook head. "Not exactly. It pushes them out with pressurized air. There's no pull-string system. It's not as powerful or as accurate from a distance, which is why I still carry a bow, but it'll still drop a charging bear some fifteen meters out."

"Wow," Lydia allowed herself a moment of genuine astonishment. "This is incredible. You made this?" Elewiese nodded. "How?"

The elf sighed, the memory taking her quite a ways back. "It was maybe three and a half, four years ago; something like that. I was just starting out in Cyrodil and I was beyond broke. I joined up with a group looking to scout some dwarven ruins in the northeast. Actually, I think it's just on the other side of the Jerral Mountains, south of Riften. Anyway the leader of the expedition force was a complete idiot, he got my entire group killed within minutes. I was a bit hardier and made through. It wasn't without its bruises but it wasn't without a reward either. I discovered what has been referred to as a lexicon. It stores dwarven memories and knowledge."

Lydia's eyes went wide. "Seriously?! You know what the dwarves knew?"

Elewiese shook her head. "Only a little. I doubt I'm doing anything more than scratching the surface. I get the feeling what I discovered was tailored more towards children."

"Oh." The Nord deflated slightly. "So it wasn't that impressive."

"On the contrary," Elewiese chuckled. "I get the feeling dwarven children would give Eorland Grey-Mane a run for his money with their forging skills." Lydia's enamored expression returned, much to Elewiese's amusement. "It took a full year of study and more of my Magus Elixirs than I could probably count, but I got results. There's no way I'd ever be able to actually use the Tonal Magic of the dwarves, but I've been able to apply the theory behind it."

Elewiese grabbed a bolt from the quiver on her utility belt. She used the arrow head on it to loosen several screws on the contraption. Elewiese lifted the lid far enough for Lydia to pear in. What she saw was a complex and elaborate system of gears, clockwork, and more moving parts than she could either count or identify. "Damn." Lydia muttered before her eyes widened. "Uh, sorry."

Elewiese merely smiled. "It also taught me a few new things about smithing. See the metal?"

Lydia nodded. "Is it gold?" She already knew that was wrong as it was way too light.

"It's an alloy, made from Moonstone and Dwarven Metal. It's much lighter than the latter but it's more malleable under normal conditions, thus the Dwarves never used it." Elewiese groaned. "This thing was a pain in the ass to perfect. No way was I gonna let it get banged up, so I made up the difference in material strength through an elaborate series of enchantments." Elewiese allowed a bit of pride to drip into her voice. "I'm not actually sure if I'm even capable of destroying it now."

Lydia was twirling one of the bolts from Elewiese's utility belt quiver. Now it was obvious why they risked so much to retrieve it. As unlikely and difficult as it would be to recreate, it wasn't inconceivable that someone could make more. Even if they couldn't, in the wrong hands, this contraption was capable of taking several lives. Lydia handed the bolt back to Elewiese and met her eyes. "Well, again I'm glad to know if there's really something that dangerous out in the world, at least it's in your hands, my Thane."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because you're a good person." Lydia answered genuinely.

Once again Elewiese's expression dropped some, but not as much as before. "Thank you, Lydia. Really." Lydia took solace in the fact that she managed to cheer her Thane up at least a little. "Would you mind looking after Delphine until she wakes up?"

The Nord bowed. "Of course, Thane, as long as you promise to try and get some sleep."

Elewiese pursed her lips, trying not to smile. "I'll try." Lydia nodded and entered the room Delphine lay resting in. Elewiese returned her gaze to the fire of the hearth, but her mind returned to Hevnojot.

Lydia sat in the woman's room for some time. She was trying to work a cramp out of her back while halfheartedly chewing on some dried meat when the mysterious innkeeper finally stirred after hours of bed rest. She winced as she leaned up in the bed, and that's when she noticed Lydia watching over her. "Where am I?" She asked.

The Housecarl scowled at the woman. She was about as charming as Elewiese described. "Kynesgrove. Iddra gave us free room and board for saving the village."

Delphine's eyes went wide, and she shot up, groaning and completely ignoring Lydia's advice to take it slow. "How long have I been out?"

Lydia looked at her incredulously. "Why? Got somewhere to be?" Delphine scowled at her fellow Nord who merely shook her head, unimpressed. "A couple hours. Night will be falling soon."

Delphine growled as she pulled herself out of bed. "Take me to the Dragonborn. I need to talk to her."

Lydia helped her into the main hall despite her dislike of the woman. Her expression turned worried when she found Elewiese right where she'd been sitting hours earlier; wrapped in a blanket next to the fire, staring into it with misty eyes. Lydia knelt before her Thane and took her hand. "My Thane? Are you feeling any better?"

The elf looked to her caring companion and smiled. "A little." She said truthfully.

Lydia frowned at how hoarse her voice sounded. "Delphine is awake. I'll bring you some water."

"I'd like that. Thank you." Elewiese held her gaze for a moment, and Lydia smiled before fetching a pitcher. Delphine sat in a chair next to Elewiese, wincing as she tried rolling her injured shoulder. "You'll be fine." The elf noted as the Nord inspected the bandages under her armor. "Nothing I haven't fixed before."

Delphine chuckled dryly. "You do fine work. I've had to fix myself up out in the field before. Never could quite get the hang of it. I guess I'm better at making cuts than stitching them up."

Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Out in the field, eh? Working for your secret organization?"

Scratching the back of her head, Delphine sighed. "Yeah about that… I said we couldn't talk about it until you proved you were Dragonborn. Well you did, so I guess I owe you some answers, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."

Leaning forward in her seat, Elewiese rolled her eyes. Finally, they could get down to business. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"As I said, my name is Delphine. I didn't lie about that. I'm one of the last members of the Blades."

Elewiese nodded. "I'd assumed as much."

Delphine winced. "Damn. Then I let you know too much. And to think, I used to be so good at intel restriction…"

"Not really." The Bosmer explained. "The layman wouldn't know all that much about your organization. I grew up around the Valenwood resistance though. I know you guys maintained a level of support and cooperation with them, up until the Thalmor beheaded every one of you south of Hammerfell."

Delphine was surprised but nodded solemnly. "Aye, Frostfall 4E 171, the start of the war. Those were dark days. I was brought up through the organization in response to that event. The Empire barely survived the Great War, and the Thalmor don't intend to lose the next one. The last Grand Master the Blades ever had saw them as the greatest threat to Tamriel. At the time, that was true. Maybe it still is. So we fought them in the shadows, all across Tamriel. We thought we were more than a match for them." Delphine shook her head, a bitter taste in her mouth. "We were wrong." The Nord took a moment to collect herself before looking back to Elewiese. She was impressed by her background with the wood elf resistance. Perhaps she _could_ trust her. "As you probably well know, we used to be known across Tamriel as the protectors of the Septim Emperors. Those days are long gone, though. For the last two hundred years, we've been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide and guard, as we are sworn to do. But we never found one. Until now."

Elewiese thought long and hard on everything that Delphine had just laid on the table. So her paranoia _was_ justified. Elewiese knew the Thalmor would stop at nothing to hunt down their enemies, with few topping the priority of the Blades. But that still didn't explain why the Blades were interested in her or the dragons. "Why do you care? What business is it to the Blades that I'm Dragonborn?"

Delphine racked her brain trying to remember all the history she could. "Damn it, I'm not a scholar, so I don't know the whole story, but it goes something like this. You know the Blades date back to Reman Cyrodil who stopped the Akaviri invasion, late in the first era, yes?" Elewiese nodded, recalling some of what she spoke of. "Apparently, a very long time ago, the Blades were originally dragonslayers. The Akaviri came here in the first place to hunt dragons. They slaughtered everyone in their path until they met Reman. Somehow, they recognized him as Dragonborn, and from that point on, they served him; the man they called the greatest dragonslayer. Reman named his new dragonguard The Blades." Delphine paused to take a breath, transitioning from her history lesson to the present. "For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again."

Elewiese internally felt more and more dread building up in her stomach as Delphine went on. She had a pretty good idea what the Blades agent wanted from her, but she had to make sure. "You say you want to guide me, and set me on the right path. What path is that?"

Delphine scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? The dragons are coming back! We need to stop them."

Elewiese stood and turned away from Delphine. Again, the instincts in her blood turned violent, and it took all her willpower not to drive her spear through the woman's heart where she sat. The elf examined her options. She still had no idea where the dragon who was resurrecting the others resided, she wasn't any closer to figuring out their motives, and she had no concrete plans to ensure she would be able to prevent another Dragon War from breaking out. If she waited around for this so called Alduin to appear at the next burial site, then what? Would they talk? He would probably just mock her again. Would they fight? Elewiese was unsure she could take on such a ferocious opponent. As it stood, she needed Delphine and the knowledge her Blades held. Closing her eyes and sucking in a breath, Elewiese turned to face Delphine once more. "I'm in." The Nord smirked and sighed in relief. "So what precisely do you know about the dragons coming back?"

That seemed to irk her. "Not a damn thing. I was just as surprised as you to find that big black dragon here."

Elewiese gauges for a moment what information she should relay to Delphine. "I've seen that larger dragon before, the one that got away before the fight." Delphine raised an eyebrow. "It was the one that attacked Helgen, when Ulfric escaped from the Imperials. I think it might have been the first dragon to come back to life."

Delphine stood and paced. "Interesting. Same dragon..." She racked her brain searching for the answer that felt like it was right in front of them, but she could not draw a conclusion. "Damn it, we're blundering around in the dark here! We need to figure out who's behind it all!"

"There has to be someone who knows something." Elewiese said while raising a calming hand. "What's our next move?"

Delphine stopped and looked downcast. "I hate to admit it, but the Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is. Although it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be them."

Elewiese tried to wrap her head around that, but couldn't. The Thalmor wanted to control everything. Nothing was more uncontrollable than a bestial force of nature. The Aldmeri Dominion would be more likely to destroy the dragons than anything else. "What makes you think the Thalmor are bringing dragons back?"

"Nothing solid. Yet. But my gut tells me it can't be anybody else." Elewiese crossed her arms and gave Delphine a pensive look in response. "Think about it! The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"

Valid point, but Elewiese still doubted the Thalmor would risk playing with dragon fire just to keep the civil war going. They could've just as easily mounted a fake rescue for Ulfric at Helgen, or used agents to spread propaganda to martyrize the Jarl's death. Still, the Thalmor would at least have investigated the situation. "So, we need to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. Any ideas?"

After thinking for a moment, Delphine snapped her fingers. "If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy... it's the center of their operations in Skyrim... Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. Honestly, they could teach me a few things about paranoia..."

"I doubt that." Elewiese joked, smirking to the side. The Nord gave her a glare and she held up her hands in surrender. "Kidding. So, any ideas on how to infiltrate the embassy?"

Delphine hummed. "There might be a way. The Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cozy up to the Thalmor. I can get you into one of those parties. Once you're inside the Embassy, you get away and find Elenwen's secret files."

"Me?!" Elewiese shouted, drawing the attentions of a few patrons in the hall. She blushed before leaning in next to Delphine and returning to a whisper. "I can't go to the Thalmor Embassy! Are you serious?!"

Delphine knit her brows. "Well, I can't go. I'd be too likely to attract the wrong kind of attention. What's the big deal anyway? They don't know you at all, yet."

Elewiese deflated in her seat, sliding down while groaning. "Actually, they do." The Blades agent waited for her to elaborate. "Look, all I'll say is I've done an overwhelming amount of things to piss off the Thalmor in the last couple years, and the only reason I'm still free to lead such a careless lifestyle is because they've never tied the events all together. I've forged a meticulous number of aliases to maintain distance and discretion." She paused and Delphine nodded, impressed by her proposed skill at espionage. "But nothing about this will be distant or discrete." Elewiese finished, resting her case.

The Nord ran a hand through her blonde locks. "We're at an impasse then. I have a contact inside the Embassy willing to help. He's not up for this kind of high-risk mission, but he'll be able to get his hands on a legitimate invitation to the party. It is a risk, but I believe you have the greatest chance of succeeding."

Elewiese knit her eyebrows. Was she really willing to throw herself to the wolves just to _maybe_ further her investigation into the dragons? She'd always known one thing for certain: the Thalmor would eventually identify her. Be it as her mother's daughter, the Lady of the Elixirs, or even the Dragonborn. Someone would eventually slip up. Someone would eventually out her as the thorn that had been festering in the Thalmor's side for years. But was she ready to do it to herself? "Look, I…I need some time to think this over. I have a responsibility to some other people. If I'm going to do this, they deserve to know that I'm taking the fight directly to the Aldmeri Dominion."

Delphine's response was to scowl. "Just be careful who you tell. It's my ass too if they catch wind of this. And don't take too long. The party is exactly one month away, if my intel is accurate, which it always is. I don't want to stay so close to their base of operations for too long, so meet me at the Solitude stables the morning of the party." Elewiese scribbled the date into her journal and was already mentally mapping out the other objectives she would need to complete by the time the party came. "And Dragonborn," Delphine grabbed her attention once more. "The dragons are not likely to sit idly by while we wait for this opportunity. Be ready for them."

Elewiese turned solemn and nodded in understanding. She got up and made room for Lydia, who had returned with several cups and a pitcher of water. The Housecarl poured them all a drink and handed them out to the other women. "Very well. I'll meet you in Solitude, four weeks' time." She raised her cup high with a cheeky grin. "Here's to then."

Lydia was the first to understand and smiled wide as she raised her glass, clinking it with her Thane's. Delphine rolled her eyes and smashed her drink into theirs too.

* * *

 **Okay guys, so I kind of miffed my post schedule a little bit. I essentially met my quota of three chapters the last time I posted, but I didn't feel comfortable stopping where I was, so I just kept writing. Welp! I finished this chapter finally and it turned out to be WAAAAY longer than I meant it to be. Like forty pages long when they're usually seventeen or something, so I actually will be splitting it up. :'D Soooo, don't mind me. Read on!**


	12. Chapter 12

**An Elf Like No Other**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Of Mothers and Their Daughters

* * *

After departing Kynesgrove, leaving Delphine in the care of the good people there, Elewiese and Lydia returned to Ivarstead, and subsequently High Hrothgar, to return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to the Greybeards. The elf offered for her companion to join her inside, but Lydia refused, not wanting to upset the monks who had already explained why she wasn't allowed inside. Elewiese pouted and complained but understood her reasoning. Instead, she promised she wouldn't take long, and that they'd be hiking down the down the mountain soon.

Arngeir and the other Greybeards seemed extremely pleased seeing Elewiese return. They all gathered in the main hall and greeted her with kind, welcoming smiles. She was equally happy to see the masters again and embraced each and every one of them. "So," Arngeir began once she'd finished greeting them all. "You've retrieved the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Well done. You have now passed all the trials. It is time for us to recognize you fully as Dragonborn." They all gathered around her in the place she was taught about Shouts and the dragons. "You are ready to learn the final word of Unrelenting Force, _Dah_ , which means 'Push'." Elewiese took a deep breath and nodded. Master Wulfgar stepped forward and whispered the word, carving it into the stones at her feet. The Dragonborn looked over the word, feeling a tingle run through her veins as she heard it in her blood. "With all three words together, this Shout is much more powerful. Use it wisely. Master Wulfgar…" Arngeir gestured for him to continue, and Wulfgar granted Elewiese his understanding of the Word of Power.

Elewiese frowned, the ticklish feeling of his knowledge making her remember Hevnojot and Mirmulnir. "Now what?" She asked when he was finished.

Arngeir approached Elewiese in the center of all of them. "You have completed your training, Dragonborn. It is time you were fully initiated into the Greybeards. To do so, we must Speak to you." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "This will be no easy task. Stand between us, and prepare yourself. Few can withstand the unbridled Voice of the Greybeards. But you are ready." Elewiese felt a shiver run down her spine in nervousness, but took another deep breath and nodded.

Arngeir returned to his position, and the four masters began. At first Elewiese nearly fell over. Her vision turned blurry and her sense of balance was completely lost to the four booming Voices slamming into her from all directions. She steeled her resolve and concentrated though. She reminded herself that they were not verbally debating with her as were the dragons she had faced. They were merely acknowledging her, addressing her. She let their Voices pass through her, and felt them vibrate along with her own _Thu'um._ It was a pleasant feeling, one she would have liked to experience with a fellow dragon, though there was no telling if that opportunity would ever arise.

She realized sadly that it was easier to understand the _dovahzul_ after having absorbed Hevnojot's soul. The though made her guilty but she understood what they said for the most part. "Long has the _Strundu'ul_ languished _,_ with no worthy _klov_ to sit _nau._ By our _Thu'um,_ we _ofan_ it now to you _, Dovahkiin,_ in the name _do Kaan,_ in the name _do Shor,_ and the name _do Atmorasewuth._ We name you _Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok_."

When they'd finished, Elewiese still had her eyes closed. " _Dovahkiin_?" She heard Arngeir call. She opened her eyes and gazed to him, smiling. Arngeir openly smiled back and bowed, as did the other Greybeards. "You have tasted the Voice of the Greybeards, and passed through unscathed. High Hrothgar is open to you."

Elewiese could not contain her excitement and leapt to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Master Borri, despite his years of concentration and meditation, could not help the low chuckle that emanated from his throat. The monastery shuddered from his Voice and the other monks looked to him chidingly. He gave an apologetic look before Arngeir dismissed the rest of the Greybeards.

"So," Elewiese began, still hanging off of Arngeir's shoulder. "I'm a Greybeard now. Any chance we can change the sexist name?"

Arngeir rubbed his beard humorously but ignored her inquiry. "As I said, High Hrothgar is open to you. Should you have any questions, I will answer to the best of my ability."

"Actually I do." Elewiese grinned and the master nodded. "What was that introduction ceremony all about, anyway? Were you Shouting at me?"

Arngeir nodded. "We spoke the traditional words of greeting to a Dragonborn who has accepted our guidance. The same words were used to greet the young Talos, when he came to High Hrothgar, before he became the Emperor Tiber Septim."

The elf's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, okay. I managed to catch most of it, except for the last phrase. What did you say?"

It was Arngeir's turn to be surprised. "You understood it?"

Elewiese frowned. She felt she had to confess it to someone, even if it was just to lighten the strain on her heart. "I killed another dragon. Hevnojot, in Kynesgrove, just yesterday." A tear slipped from her eye without her even realizing. "He didn't give me any other choice. I tried to chase him off, but he just…" She let out a shuddering breath.

Arngeir frowned. "You have such a kind and pure soul, _Dovahkiin._ It will not make your destiny any easier." They weren't really words of comfort, but Elewiese was just happy someone could sympathize with her. Most people would scold her for taking the death of a dragon so personally. Most would celebrate yet another dragonslaying. She was not most people. "As for your question, the last phrase we spoke said simply: You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North, hearken to it."

Elewiese laughed with a sniffle. "I never thought I'd earn a title like that."

Arngeir chuckled dryly. "Few can ever truly ever predict anything from their destiny."

"Like Alduin," The Dragonborn dried her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "There was another dragon in Kynesgrove that I'd met before. Ironically, the first time we'd met, he saved my life, although I'm sure it was completely accidental. I certainly wasn't expecting to see him again-" Elewiese looked up but was shocked to see Arngeir's pale expression. "Master? What's the matter?"

"A-Alduin?" He asked.

Elewiese nodded, confused. "One of the dragons I encountered in Kynesgrove. He's resurrecting the others, I think. He might also be their leader." She scrutinized the Greybeard's expression. "Do you know him?"

It took a moment for him to answer, but Arngeir shook his head. "No,I don't." Elewiese could tell he was lying. "The Greybeards do not involve themselves in the affairs of outsiders, not even the dragons. Our Voice is used only in the reverence of the divines." She opened her mouth to inquire further, but Arngeir cut her off, a response that was becoming irritably familiar. "On that note, I have a worry to express with you, _Dovahkiin._ "

Elewiese sighed and but her tongue to keep from using harsh words on him. "And what might that be, master?"

Arngeir recognized her irritation but continued. "I worry what will happen should your knowledge outpace your vocabulary. It is likely that before your journey is done you will face more of your _dovah_ siblings."

A somber nod was all Elewiese could manage at that depressing thought. "What would you suggest?"

"I can teach you a meditative technique that will assist in the contemplation of the Words you already know as well as help you to locate more Words of Power."

Elewiese tried not to let her excitement show through her upset demeanor. "I can find more Words in Skyrim?" He nodded. "Where?"

Arngeir shook his head. "I am uncertain Dragonborn, but you will discover them everywhere. In ruins, in the wild, on the slopes of the mountains. The Dragon Cult spread far and wide across Skyrim. You will be able to feel the whispers of the Word Walls they revered and constructed."

Elewiese giggled despite herself and bowed. It would be useful to learn more Shouts. No doubt the history the Word Walls he spoke of contained more insight into the dragons, as well. "I am ready to learn, Master."

The process was very simple and Elewiese picked it up quickly. After meditating she found her inner Voice to be much clearer and more confident. Already she could hear the slightest of sounds emanating from hidden places below the summit of the mountain. Elewiese vowed to herself and Arngeir to make an effort at discovering any Words she came near, if only in the interest of of calming the storm that was her growing _Thu'um._

Elewiese wanted to inquire further about Alduin and what the Greybeards happened to know about the dragons, but Arngeir shrugged off her every attempt. She was frustrated with the outcome but she wasn't ready shake the elderly Nords down just yet. At least not until she exhausted every other option, and certainly not when they had just welcomed her into their order. Elewiese wished each and every one of the masters a fond goodbye and returned to Ivarstead with Lydia by nightfall.

Elewiese traded an enchanted iron helm she'd found on her travels to pay for a couple of rooms at the Vilemyr Inn at the base of the mountain. Lydia blushed, remembering the night she'd shared with Elewiese there. Neither of them had spoken about that night since which she was grateful for, but she was also a little wistful about it too.

Elewiese saw Lydia's expression and smiled knowingly before informing her Housecarl to go ahead and get some sleep. Lydia furrowed her brow. "Where are you going?"

"To grab a bite to eat." Came her simple response. Lydia merely shrugged and settled into her room for the night. She paid no attention to her Thane's tail that swished excitedly behind her, or her twitching hands & ears, or the way she ran her tongue across her canines. Elewiese quietly left the Vilemyr Inn, intent on finding something a little more lively to sate her appetite. It had been a couple days since she'd last hunted; before she'd left Whiterun at least. Elewiese traveled south, out of Ivarstead, before getting off the road. To anyone else, it might move looked like Elewiese walked behind a rock, and a monstrous creature walked out on the other side. The two were one in the same however, and Elewiese stretched languidly in her full werefox form, the light from the full moons illuminating her supple, muscular body and coarse, auburn mane. She took her time, spending maybe half an hour to find her meal, hunting as an animal would; tracking by sound, smell, and footprints while on all fours. She eventually came upon a large stag and pounced on it, snapping its neck quickly to ensure it knew no pain nor fear in its final moments. Elewiese hummed as warm blood and flesh filled her maw and stained her snout. The act of feeding from a fresh kill always dulled her senses with and opiate effect, so it wasn't until a twig snapped and torchlight flooded the area she was in that Elewiese opened her eyes. Two men armored not unlike how she normally was, with steel armor over novice robes, were on opposite sides of her. Each held a torch in one hand, and a mace in the other. The werefox wiped her snout with the back of her paw. "Good evening." She spoke clearly.

"I-It talked!" The younger of the two men exclaimed, his hands shaking.

"Quiet, boy! And knock off that shaking! A true Vigilant knows no fear." The older more grizzled Nord shouted to his companion, all the while glaring at Elewiese.

She busied herself by cleaning her teeth with a claw while listening to them. "Can I help you with something?"

The older fellow smirked. "You can hold still. We, the Vigilants of Stendar, have vowed to destroy all Daedric influence in this world. Be it demons, undead-"

"Oh! You're holy knights. That's cool, I guess." Elewiese interrupted. "Welp! I haven't seen any demons or undead, so I'll just be going-"

"Or werebeasts." He finished with a scowl.

Elewiese waited, her tail swing back and forth, but it stopped when she realized what he meant. "Oh. You're going to try and kill me?" The older knight twirled his mace and approached. "I mean, are you sure about this?" The man did not slow down. "Fiiiiiine…" Elewiese groaned.

Once in range, the man engaged. He first swung low, giving Elewiese the opportunity to leap over him, putting both knights in her field of view. The man who attacked twirled around and engaged her again. He was skilled, no doubt about it, but he couldn't hold a candle to her speed. Elewiese began strafing around and somersaulting over his attacks, and generally just having fun with him. The man growled as she laughed. The younger of the two knights tried skirting around them, looking for an opening, but Elewiese ensured she repositioned herself every time so that he would not be able to join the fray. "Damn you!" The man she was sparring with regained her attention. "Hold still!" On a particularly sloppy swing, Elewiese instinctually grabbed the mace out of the man's hand as it passed and twisted it out of his grip, tossing it off into the dark woods.

The man's expression grew shocked. "Calm down, knight. I'm not going to kill you. There'd be no point." Elewiese called his attention back to her face. "The world actually needs people like you protecting it, so in the name of your patron god Stendar, I will show you mercy." The knight scowled, offended, and was about to say something when she interrupted him again. "I am gonna knock you out though." He realized what she'd said too late, as Elewiese slammed a fist into his head making his eyes roll back and his body slump to the ground. She laughed again.

"Halt!" Elewiese had momentarily forgotten about the other knight. "Harm him no further!" He had his mace raised threateningly. His face was cute in a young way, softer than most of his older Nord kin.

Elewiese sprawled out her hands. "I just said I wasn't going to kill him. Don't worry, I won't kill you either." She crossed her arms and looked at him pensively. "Can you say the same?"

The boy turned flustered. "Th-The mission of the Vigilants is to root out all evil!"

"And…?" Elewiese waited but the young knight said nothing else. Shaking his head, he raised his mace high and swung down. Elewiese dodged the attack effortlessly. He tried the same move again, ending in the same result. Elewiese sighed, embarrassed for the lad. "No, no, no. Come here." In the blink of an eye, she was behind him. He stiffened as she took hold of his hands. "Maces will do good damage, but they are very slow. Most of the opponents you will be facing have natural advantages of speed and strength, so you'll want to make the most of your swings." She gestured with his arm holding the mace, swinging horizontally instead of vertically as he'd been doing. "Swipe in the widest arc possible, but keep your balance. Try it." She stepped away to let him practice on her. It took a moment for the boy to get over the shock that he was still alive, then he attacked as she had demonstrated. "Good, but do it faster. Let the momentum carry through your swing." He tried again, swinging the mace in a full circle and actually coming close to grazing her. "Whoa! Nice job!" She laughed.

The knight relaxed, but still seemed wary of Elewiese. "So…I guess you're one of the 'good ones' than?"

The werefox giggled again. "I don't know about that. I've never met another 'good one'. You want my advice?" The boy nodded. "Take after your friend there and attack on sight. It's not difficult controlling myself, but then again I was given a handicap. There are few enough beasts that are as lucky as me, so better safe than sorry." He had a confused expression but Elewiese just waved here hand dismissively. "In any case, this was fun, but I really should turn in for the night. But first…" She grinned her still bloody teeth and the boy gulped.

"You're not gonna knock me out too, are you? What if we're attacked by wolves while both of us are unconscious?!" In an instant she was in his face. He gazed into her terrifying and beautiful eyes, the red irises pulsating in time with his fast heartbeat.

"No, no. I have something else in mind for you." The knight made no move as she took in his scent, her black nose twitching across the skin of his cheek. He winced as her whiskers passed over his face ticklishly. He was awfully handsome this close up. She made sure to keep his full attention on her face as her hands worked deftly. Elewiese opened her maw and dragged her thin tongue up the side of his face, leaving a smear of blood from the deer she'd devoured minutes earlier. The Vigilant's eyes went wide.

And then she pulled away, walking off into the night. It took a moment for him to collect himself. "W-Wait! That was it?" Her only response was to look over her shoulder and continue walking, swaying her hips in a sauntering fashion. Odd to see from a werecreature, the knight thought. He breathed a sigh of relief that whatever had just happened was now over. He took a step forward to assess the condition of his mentor, but he tripped. Shaking the stun off, he rolled over and looked down to find his pants down at his ankles. She had pantsed him! He looked up as he thought he heard the distant feminine cackle, but he saw nothing but trees in the torchlight.

Lydia awoke the next morning feeling quite constricted. She realized why when she looked down to see Elewiese in her bed, clutching her shirt and nuzzling her chest. Naturally, she blushed, but once Lydia got over her surprise, she found comfort in running her hand through her Thane's hair and over her ears. Elewiese began purring, but eventually woke up. The elf stretched the length of the single bed and scooted up slightly. She opened her eyes, coming face to face with Lydia. She smiled. "Ummm, Elewiese?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you have blood on your mouth?" Elewiese yawned and had to think for a moment, sleep still inebriating her ability to think clearly. "Deer…" She managed leaning in to Lydia's neck.

Lydia sniffed her scalp. Elewiese smelled of the forest. "So when you said you were grabbing a bite, you ended up going out to eat last night?" Her only response was to hum a chuckle and brush her nose against the Nord's Adam's apple. Lydia laughed lightly too. She was surprised how okay she was with her Thane transforming into a werecreature at night and devouring animals. Lydia crawled out of bed, despite Elewiese's complaints, and grabbed a wet cloth from the wash basin in her room. She washed the blood from around the elf's mouth, waking her up in the process. Lydia silently hoped Wilhelm hadn't seen her come back in last night.

The two women were up and about eventually. They ate a nice breakfast at the bar, sharing merriment and stories with the innkeeper, who made no mention he had seen a blood-mouthed Elewiese the night prior, much to Lydia's relief. Then, they were back on the road, heading north to swing around the Throat of the World and back to Whiterun.

* * *

The journey was about as uneventful as they came, something Elewiese was grateful for as she sought to take it easy for a day or two. Any wildlife that blocked their path, the elf let her companion deal with, although she may have tossed a fireball or two to avoid seeming lax. When they eventually did stroll through the gates, Elewiese had one hand cradling her neck and one hand stifling a yawn, despite the fact that it was barely past noon. Several of the citizens of Whiterun approached and greeted Elewiese when they saw her. In truth, there was hardly a soul in the city that she had not helped, both in big ways and in small. One resident in particular, whom she'd quite literally saved, sat writing with ink and parchment in Breezehome, but eagerly jumped up and ran to the door when it opened, despite the reprisal her new teacher threatened. Lucia leapt into Elewiese's arms, the elf spinning the young girl around and giggling in turn. "Oh! My Lucia, I missed you so much!" She said over the girl's shoulder in their embrace.

The young girl began tearing up. "M-Me too…" Everything, from the scent of Elewiese's hair, to the softness of her skin as the woman's cheek rubbed against her own, was just as Lucia remembered. Even the ever present mispronunciation of her name made her happy to hear again. Elewiese set the girl down and pulled back to look at her. Lucia tried to wipe away her tears, remembering what her tutor that still sat on the bench in the back of the room had said about crying in front people. "I'm sorry."

Elewiese caught the girl's hand with her own and continued wiping the tears away herself while smiling warmly. "You don't have to apologize, Lucia. What kind of world would it be if we couldn't cry when we needed to? If you ever feel the need, let the tears come, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Not even mean old ladies who you're supposed to listen to." Lucia laughed along with Elewiese at that, and the two looked back at the high elf who now stood from the table in the back.

"Honestly," The Altmer chided the Bosmer woman who'd just arrived. "To think I dragged myself up to this frozen wasteland for you."

Elewiese managed to get her laugh under control and curtsied for the woman. "Madame Truska, I'm happy to see you accepted my invitation on such short notice." The woman was tall, as most high elves were. Her skin was a golden lemony yellow color and was free of blemishes. Her white hair and lines across her features showed her age, but didn't take away from her natural beauty.

The madame bowed in return and waved a hand uncaringly. "The staff of the school is perfectly capable of handling my absence for a few weeks. Besides, I do miss the in depth tutoring as opposed to the generalized classroom." Truska smiled fondly with a distant look in her eye. Elewiese merely hugged Lucia to her chest, waiting for the wizened elf to return to the present. "No matter. I suspect we might be returning sooner than expected. Miss Lucia here is very well endowed, intellectually."

Lucia blushed as Elewiese smiled at her proudly. "I suspected as much." Then she realized what the matron has said. "Wait, who is 'we'?"

Madame Truska opened her mouth to speak, but someone else beat her to the punch as he descended the steps into the main room of Breezehome. "Surely you didn't think I would ask such a refined and lovely woman to make the harsh journey all by her lonesome," Elewiese looked up to the man, starting at his pristine buckled shoes and moving up along his lithe but athletic calves that were outlined in the black leather pants that clung to his legs. A steel cutlass was strapped to his waist, though she knew his skill with the blade was near nonexistent. His white ruffled button down shirt was tucked into his waist line, though the top several buttons were undone, leaving a fair portion of his chest exposed. With his face cleanly shaven and his sandy blonde hair in its normal feathered style, Maximus Scario smiled wide and winked his warm green eyes at the Bosmer's shocked expression. "My Lady." The imperial bowed low, reaching the foot of the stairs.

"Max!" Elewiese exclaimed, lunging forward to clasp her partner and longtime friend's arm. "What in Oblivion are you doing here?" She laughed and pulled him into an embrace.

Maximus pat her head in between the ears. "I heard from my love that you girls were having the most wonderful time up here, and I thought I'd see if my services were needed. As it turns out, they were."

Elewiese was about to inquire as to Shaudrey's whereabouts, but that last part caught her attention. "Oh, no," She sighed. "What have you done now?"

Maximus smirked. "Nothing nefarious, I assure you. As you can see, I took the liberty of making this place more livable." Elewiese glanced around noting the superior and higher quality furniture that now decorated her Whiterun home, as opposed to a few days prior. "I also moved our newest young scholar into the back room, and furnished it to fit a princess." He winked to Lucia.

Lucia's blush persisted as she bowed. "Thank you again, Mr. Scario."

Elewiese was about to raise a particular protest, but Maximus already knew and held up a calming hand. "You needn't say anything, My Lady, I merely reallocated the alchemy table to just outside your room upstairs. And yes, I kept it organized, just the way you like." The young elf smirked insipidly, disappointed she missed the chance to complain about something. As usual though, Maximus had taken care of everything.

"I see. Well done Mister Scario." The master merchant made a long drawn out bow while sweeping and twirling his hands. "I assume Shaudrey stayed behind to man the fort, so to speak?"

Maximus crossed his arms and chortled in amusement. "Indeed, and my love was none too happy about it. However, it wouldn't do to have all of us away from the operation at the same time." Elewiese nodded in approval. "She also said something about calling off a bet?"

Elewiese openly laughed and shook her head. "You can tell her I said 'nuh-uh'."

The Imperial sighed wearily. "I see. I don't suppose she'll be happy about that either." Straightening, Maximus seemed to notice the Housecarl standing behind Elewiese for the first time. "Ah! Miss Lydia," He made the same exaggerated bow again. "An honor to see you again. I trust you're keeping our Lady and yourself in good health."

Lydia nodded and smirked, having been reminded of the man's personality. His natural exuberance was second only to Elewiese's. The Bosmer herself punched the man in his arm. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"So I see." Maximus winced as he rubbed his arm and took a seat in one of the chairs near the fire pit. "Now, I'm sure you haven't been telling me everything in your letters. Why don't we sit down and discuss…things." He gave her an expectant look, and Elewiese sighed, rolling her eyes like a child.

"Lucia." Madame Truska called from the table in the back. "Come sit back down. These problems aren't going to finish themselves."

The girl looked up to Elewiese with a worried expression. The elf leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere tonight." That earned her a small smile and nod from Lucia. She then went to rejoin her tutor and continue her lesson. Elewiese sat wearily in the chair next to her business partner and nodded to Lydia who asked if she should prepare them a late lunch. "I'm impressed you managed to convince her to come up herself."

Maximus snickered and snuck a glance at the aged Altmer. "Well, I imagine running a public school in the capitol for the less fortunate isn't exactly the way she wanted to spend her twilight years. And we were both pleasantly surprised to hear you'd taken in such a remarkable child. In any case, I don't think she'll be losing any sleep over it. Besides, I think you've finally rubbed off on her." He winked to Elewiese.

"Hardly." Madame Truska interjected without even looking over, and went on to correct a mistake Lucia had made. She continued tutoring the girl albeit now with the corners of her mouth raised. Elewiese was happy Truska had chosen to come up herself. As the woman who had taught her nearly all the higher education she knew, Elewiese was quite fond of her. The Bosmer's accident six years ago in Valenwood may have done something to severely boost her intelligence, but she still needed to learn. Elewiese had met Madame Truska once as she passed through Valenwood and again a few years later when she moved into Cyrodil. From what she understood and what little the high elf had told her, she had been convinced to leave the Summerset Isles for political antagonization. 'Kindly exiled' she had called it. Seeing the Altmer sitting at the table, doing for Lucia what she had for Elewiese, stoked a warm and happy feeling in the Bosmer's stomach.

"Enough about them. Lucia's in good hands." Maximus grabbed Elewiese's attention once more, and she nodded in agreement. "Tell me what's transpired since your last letter."

…

Maximus leaned forward in his seat, lacing his fingers and knitting his brow, deep in thought. Elewiese wordlessly handed her plate to Lydia, but wore a grateful expression for the wonderful meal she'd made. The only sound in the room was the fire crackling and Lucia's quill scratching away at the parchment she wrote on. Finally, Maximus spoke. "I don't like it. We always knew 'D-Day' would come." He sighed. "I just never expected it would be ourselves to shoot the arrow into our knee."

Lydia looked back from the washbasin. "D-Day?"

"Discovery Day." He elaborated. "The day when the Thalmor learn Elewiese's identity."

"What's the big deal?" Lydia asked, but even as she spoke, she was growing more and more nervous. "It's not like they'll just magically put two & two together and come to the conclusion that she's the Lady of the Elixirs. Besides, she's going to use an alias."

"They'll know her face. That'll be enough." Maximus gazed directly at Elewiese, but she kept her focus on the fire. It gave her something to look at to avoid his layered expression. "Once they positively identify her as the Dragonborn, they'll retrace her steps. Even a dullard could point out how every apothecary she visits in Skyrim partners with us. They might not peg her as the Lady herself, but she will be that much more valuable to them."

"I can handle myself." Elewiese stated adamantly.

Madame Truska snorted in dry humor from the edge of the bench. "Of course you can, girl, that's not what we're talking about. You've already proven you can handle them head on, so they won't be trying that again." She was of course referring to the Thalmor spy she'd caught among her apprentices a couple months prior.

Every potential apprentice was given a test at the conclusion of their screening process. They were given a sealed package of confidential materials and were instructed to deliver it directly to either Shaudrey or Max. Elewiese would be waiting on the road just outside the capitol. She was disappointed when the Altmer boy came across her path. She'd had high hopes for him. Needless to say, his loyalty to the Aldmeri Dominion was stronger, and he would not back down. She was forced to kill him.

"No," Truska continued. "They'll come at you sideways. It's how they think." The high elf sighed in disdain at what her countrymen had become.

Elewiese understood immediately what she was on about. "Our ladies and gentlemen in waiting." She said aloud.

Max nodded. "Our chief alchemists, our apprentices, the beneficiaries, even our couriers like my love and Miss Lydia here. They can strike anywhere at any time, and we won't be able to stop them all."

Elewiese leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, crunching numbers and running scenarios in her head. "Will the Empire support us, if their citizens are attacked?"

"Hard to tell." He shrugged. For an Imperial, Max had a fairly pessimistic look when it came to the governing body of the Empire. "We could incentivize them by cutting off our support initiatives. The school has been drawing in less-"

Madame Truska stood with a furious expression on her face. "That will absolutely not do. I didn't agree to come onboard as your institute's head scribe just to have it all shut down as some sort of political gambit. If I was interested in being used in such an appalling way, I would've never left the Summerset Isles!"

Maximus stood too now. "Well, what else can we do? This isn't a game where pieces are traded, madame. Lives are at stake!"

Lydia jumped in as well. "We need a solution that puts our people in the least amount of danger."

"The solution would be to steer clear of the Thalmor!" The Altmer emphasized.

The argument grew more and more heated with all three of them trying to speak over one another. With every increase in volume, Elewiese's head throbbed. Eventually, she'd had it. " _ENOUGH!_ " Elewiese shot up and bared her teeth, her eyes smoldering and dark. The plates in the cupboard rattled and the ground seemed to quiver. It was then that she realized, she'd unconsciously let some of her _Thu'um_ into her voice. She looked up to see everyone cupping their ears with wide eyes, even dear Lucia. Elewiese sighed and plopped back into her seat. She concentrated on her breath and focus to regain control of her Voice. "Just…Enough…" She said normally.

Elewiese had her head hung low but looked up when she felt a small hand playing with her ears. Lucia gotten up from her seat and was now smiling in front of her while petting her head. Her eyes were filled with worry, however. Worry for Elewiese. The Bosmer let out a the breath she'd been holding and giggled along with the girl as she pulled her into her lap. The three voices who had been arguing calmed, seeing the duo. Elewiese tickled Lucia's neck and let her nuzzle her hand. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "This is how it has always been." She states looking to Lydia. "We've never had a plan for D-Day. It always devolved into manic arguments and wounded pride." She smiled as the girl in arms pinched her nose. Elewiese took Lucia's hand and rubbed her cheek against it.

The Lady looked to her business partner and close friend. "Maximus. Will you follow me?"

The Imperial was silent for a few moment before regaining his charismatic mercantile grin. From the moment he stumbled across the Bosmer girl running a ramshackle stall without a permit in the marketplace of the capitol four years ago, he had a gut feeling then that she would be the one to lead him to prominence. That feeling had never wavered once in all the time he'd known her. He stood to give her one of his historically exaggerated bows. "To glory, riches, and if need be a Thalmor interrogation cell." They both laughed at that, and Elewiese nodded.

She then looked to the prideful and stoic matron on the bench whose arms were crossed. "Madame Truska, will you trust me as I have trusted you?"

The old elf felt a jolt of energy run through her tired body. In her several centuries as a teacher, she'd tutored nobles, royals, even kings as they grew up, but no student of hers ever had the spark of potential that she'd seen in Elewiese. The girl's intelligence and quick-wittedness was second only to her kindhearted nature. She'd proven herself time and time again, and Madame Truska had never been prouder of one of her pupils. "I… Yes, My Lady, I will."

Elewiese sighed in relief. "Good. Then here's the plan. Moving agents back and forth after the Aldmeri Dominion identifies me will be virtually impossible without endangering them, so we won't."

Maximus grew wide eyed. "But, My Lady, our regular shipments-"

"Will continue as normal." She reassured him. Elewiese was all too aware that temples and clinics in Cyrodil regularly depended on the medicine they provided. "But all centers of production will need to hunker down, at least until we gauge how much this riles up the Thalmor."

"But what of Skyrim, my Thane?" Lydia asked.

"This is all hypothetical until I actually blow my cover. The party is in one month sans a couple days. We will use the time before hand to finalize a network between the holds of Skyrim, and between Skyrim and Cyrodil." Lydia smiled, happy that Elewiese was keeping her promise to help Lydia's homeland. The elf looked to her partner. "Max, I'll need help with that."

The Imperial grinned, cracked his knuckles, and reached over to the end table that had his travel bag on it. He withdrew his ledger from the bag and opened it, the pages filled with a mishmash of encoded and ineligible symbols and phrases. Only one person could make sense of Max's system, and that was Max himself. "Alrighty then…" He flipped through a few pages and made some notes in the margins. "We can check, Whiterun, Eastmarch, and Hjaalmarch off the list. Winterhold should be fine with the mages there. We should prioritize making contact with alchemists in Falkreath, Haafingar, the Pale, and the Reach. Ah, wait… Where was…? Here!" He handed a slip of paper Elewiese detailing directions to a farm northwest of Riften. "I managed to track down that apprentice you wanted."

"Avrusa Sarethi?! Student of the legendary alchemist Sinderion?!"

"Uhhh…" Maximus scratched the back of his head and looked to Lydia. The Nord merely shrugged. "Yeah."

Elewiese squealed in delight and hugged Lucia tightly. The girl smiled in her arms, confused by what caused the elf such joy. When the Bosmer realized no one was sharing her excitement, she settled but only slightly. "Oh come on guys, Sinderion! The Altmer alchemist who unlocked the mysteries of the nirnroot? Author of _The Nirnroot Missive_?" Nothing. Elewiese pouted. "You guys are no fun." Madame Truska chuckled to herself.

Max cleared his throat. "Well if that's the case, his student might be willing to supply us with some rare ingredients. I would definitely make her one of your stops."

Elewiese nodded and scribbled into her journal. "Okay, my work is cut out for me. What about you Max?"

He laughed challengingly. "Setting up the route between the holds of Skyrim is all well and good, but you're going to need access to our stock eventually. I'll work on setting up routes between here and back home, other than the Jerall Mountain Pass of course; shipped along the Golden Coast perhaps. We'll probably lose more money than we make in the end, but if it saves lives, it was money well spent."

Lydia raised a brow. "You're not like any merchant I've ever met before."

The Imperial laughed and was about to make a joke when Elewiese pulled him back to business. "Only include ingredients in the shipments. No potions whatsoever. I don't need this supply chain getting shut down over paranoia."

"Right, right. Wouldn't want the Imperials to think we're helping the Stormcloaks, or vice versa." Max finished making note of it in his ledger but winced. "Fundamentally I agree, but are you sure? We'd have to rely on the alchemists here. If they can't learn what you have to teach them-"

"Don't underestimate our intellect Imperial." Lydia huffed, and Max put his hands up in surrender. Elewiese met her Housecarl's eye and smiled when she did the same. "If the Nords are going to survive this crisis in time, we'll do it as we always have: on our own feet."

"Very good, very good…" Elewiese stifled a laugh at how whenever Maximus was preoccupied, he tended to repeat phrases twice over. The Imperial made a few last notes in his ledger before returning it to his bag. He leaned over to peer from one of Breezehome's many narrow windows to the darkening sky. "Well I think that's enough shop talk for one day."

The girl in Elewiese yawned wide, forcing subsequent yawns out of Lydia and Elewiese. Maximus laughed at their expense and at Lydia who gave him the stink eye in return. Elewiese tickled Lucia in retaliation, making her squeal and giggle. "Alright, time for bed." The elf decided. The Altmer stood from the bench in the kitchen area, eyeing Lucia's work with a smile that only Elewiese noticed. "Madame Truska, do you require-"

"Already have it covered, my Lady. The madame and I are staying at the Bannered Mare Inn." Maximus hefted his travel bag onto his shoulder. "Hulda has been quite lovely and very generous to us."

Elewiese got a devious look on her face. "Lovely, eh? I'll be sure to let Shaudrey know how much you…admire your hostess."

"Please do." Maximus laughed, calling her bluff. "Boy, does she get feisty when she thinks there's another woman involved." He leaned in close to her. "It's like she's claiming me as hers. Shaudrey does stuff to me that makes it so I would _never_ leave her for another woman-"

Elewiese openly gagged. "Can I just die now from disgust?"

Maximus wiped a humorous tear from the corner of his eye. "In any case, I've financed our stay for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, here." He reached into his bag and placed a hefty coin purse into her arms. "It's not like you could afford it right now anyway."

Elewiese pouted. "I could too!"

He gave her an incredulous look. Max was all too familiar with Elewiese's inability to handle money. "Really? How much are you carrying right now?"

The Bosmer was keenly aware of the two coins that had been clinking around in her coin purse ever since Riverwood. "A-A lot if you consider the amount of treasure me and Lydia have collected!"

Madame Truska hummed humorously as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. "I don't." Maximus stated. The Altmer matron stood at the home's threshold and looked to him expectantly. "Ah, so sorry my dear, but would you mind giving me a moment alone with our Lady?"

Madame Truska realized something was up, but decide not to stick her nose in it. She wasn't about to miss an opportunity to have fun with the man though. "Well, that's quite audacious. Forcing an old woman to shuffle out into the cold all by her lonesome. I never pegged you for the uncivilized type, Lord Scario." The matron let Elewiese kiss her hand, as she had been doing for years, before opening the door.

"Yes, yes. A thousand apologies!" He managed to get out before the door slammed closed. He shared a knowing look with Elewiese before turning somber again.

Elewiese had her hands on Lucia's shoulders and turned her to meet her eye. "Sweetheart, why don't you take Lydia and the both of you can get ready for bed?"

Lucia nodded and grabbed Lydia by the hand, earning a small smile from the older Nord. The two went to the wash basin that sat back near the table. Elewiese gave Maximus a questioning look. "So…" He began. "Dragonborn?"

Ah. Now she understood why they were alone. With anyone else she might've kept her usual emotionless, stony expression. It was just Maximus though. Eleweise's lip quivered and her eyes spoke volumes of sadness and fear. A tear had almost fallen from her eye when he pulled her into his chest so she could silently sob. "Hey, shhhhhh… It's okay." It took her about a minute to regain her control. She pulled away from the embrace with a tired and defeated expression. "So it's true? What your mother said?"

What her mother had said. It would have been laughable if it wasn't Elewiese. "Yes. The Greybeards confirmed Aka-…He is my father." It was hard to get that last part out.

Maximus obviously had mixed emotions about. If he didn't know Elewiese, he probably would've been down on his knees, not meeting her eye, and asking her what he and Shaudrey should name their firstborn child, when they got around to it at least. But he did know Elewiese. And about her mom. And about her childhood. "I'm sorry." He said.

He stroked her ears the way he knew she liked, but Elewiese couldn't even appreciate that with all the thoughts flying through her head. What should she do tomorrow? What did she feel about the dragons? What hold would she head for first? What was her mother doing right now? No answers, only questions. "I'll check in with you, first thing tomorrow. Okay?" Max forced her to look at him.

She nodded with fatigue in her eyes, but she managed enough strength to stand on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek; her way of letting him know he was the brother she'd never had. He ruffled her auburn hair and stepped out into the night.

* * *

Elewiese tossed and turned in her new bed. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was new; in fact, Maximus had outdone himself. She felt like she was lying on a cloud of silk and warmth. No, it was the uncertainty of tomorrow and the future in general weighing heavily on her mind that kept her awake.

She took to repeatedly lifting her arms and letting them fall to her sides. Elewiese wasn't sure how long she'd been at it, but after blowing a stray hair out of her face, she noticed someone standing in the doorway. Elewiese propped herself up onto her elbows and saw Lucia standing with a book in her hands. "Lucia? What are you doing up so late?" She spoke softly as to not wake Lydia down the hall. Although, come to think of it, they could probably Shout in the _Thu'um_ and the Housecarl still wouldn't wake.

The young girl bit her lip and dug her bare foot into the wood floor. She wore the same white nightgown Elewiese had given her that first night. Elewiese wore a yellow nightgown similar to the other she'd worn. "I…wanted to see you more…before you left again…"

The elf tilted her head, smiling sadly. She scooted over to make room on the bed and made a come hither gesture. Lucia smiled and jumped into the sheets with her. Elewiese lit a candle with fire she produced from the tip of her finger, making the girl giggle. "I like magic. I wish I could learn it." Lucia said cupping the light of the candle with her hand.

Elewiese was surprised but glad. "Good. Too many people are afraid of magic, and the world suffers for it." Lucia didn't quite understand what she meant but she was mesmerized as Elewiese held out her hand and in it all sorts of colors and shapes appeared in disappeared. "Shall I teach you this too?" Lucia looked to her with bright eyes and nodded emphatically. Elewiese stifled a laugh. "Speaking of which, how are you getting along with madame Truska?"

"I like her," She stated truthfully, before turning nervous. "But…she can be kinda mean."

Elewiese chuckled quietly in agreement. "She has a way of scolding you and making you like her for it. She's an excellent tutor however; the greatest I've ever come across."

Lucia nodded. She was hugging the book she'd brought close to her chest. The black binding was damaged but she handled it gently, as she'd been warned to do. "What's this?" Elewiese tapped the book and wiggled her eyebrows. "Homework."

"Madame Truska said I should practice reading and writing on my own, whenever I can."

Elewiese hummed. "It makes me happy to see you're trying." She turned the book over. "What are we reading tonight?"

"The Book of the…Dragonborn…"

"…" Elewiese said nothing but unconsciously glared at the leather-bound pages.

Lucia gulped nervously, seeing her face. "I'm sorry…"

Elewiese was shocked a moment before shaking her head, regaining control over her expressions. "What? No, no! I should be the one who is sorry. You don't ever have to apologize to me, Lucia, okay?" She nodded slowly, but remained nervous. "I only-… I-It's just that…" Elewiese sighed deeply, unsure of what to say.

Luckily, Lucia knew how to drive her forward. She placed her hand over Elewiese's on the book. "You are Dragonborn?"

The least she could do was answer the girl's questions, and in doing so so, she might better understand it herself. Her expression soured again some, but this time she snuggled closer to Lucia, letting her know it was okay. "Yes, I am."

A bit of childish wanderlust sparkled in the girl's eyes, giving Elewiese maybe the first hint of satisfaction with her heritage that she'd ever felt. "Wow! Did you know that Saint Alessia was Dragonborn? And Tiber Septim too!"

Elewiese merely smiled, glad that Lucia's studies were progressing so splendidly. She opened the book, knowing its contents from cover to cover, and found the passage she was looking for. A finger accompanied the words she read to assist in Lucia's following along. " _Those blessed by Akatosh with 'the dragon blood' became known more simply as Dragonborn._ " The elf let out another heavy breath and closed the book. "What the book doesn't tell you is those who are the first in a line of Dragonborn…are sired by Akatosh himself."

Again, Lucia looked ready to burst with excitement. Elewiese's demeanor, however, sobered her response. "Akatosh is your father?" She nodded somberly. The girl's brow furrowed in confusion. "You don't like that?"

Elewiese let out yet another shaky sigh and her eyes grew moist. "No sweetheart, I don't." Lucia merely waited and Elewiese tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Before I was even born, I'd lost my mother. Some bad people did some very bad things to her, and it broke her in the head. Akatosh came to her and helped her escape the bad people, but her mind was still lost. I was born after that." She looked down when she heard sniffling from Lucia.

Tears fell openly from the girl's eyes. Elewiese knew it would be a sensitive topic for Lucia to hear, but she also wanted the girl to know she wasn't alone when it came to loss. "But he got her away from the bad people, right? Didn't he saved her?"

Elewiese made a halfhearted attempt to wipe her own tears away. "Rescued her? Yes. Saved her? No." The elf shook her head angrily. "I'll never understand why he didn't fix her mind. He's a divine; a god. Wasn't he capable?" She laid back and stared at the ceiling, or rather past it. "I hate Akatosh with all my heart. Only him. Even the group responsible for what happened to my mother are just misguided souls. But I'll never forgive Him for what He failed to do for my mother. Not ever…" Elewiese covered her face as she sobbed, feeling like she was losing her mind. "Sometimes I wish he had just let her die and that I'd never been born."

Lucia was quiet for a while before responding in barely a whisper. "How could you say that?" Elewiese uncovered her face to see the girl sitting upright and glaring at her. "Don't you know what you mean to me?" Her lip trembled in sadness and anger. "Without you I'd be nothing. Without you I'd be captured by bandits and sold as a slave. Without you I'd be dead, gripping my stomach from starvation." A fresh bout of tears fell from Elewiese's eyes at the thought. "You mean everything to me, so you can't say stuff like that…"

The older woman was quiet a moment before leaning up to wrap her arms around the girl's waist and pulled her down to lay on top of her. Lucia was calmed as she listened to Elewiese's steady, reassuring heartbeat. "You're right. I'm sorry, my sweet. You'll never hear such words from me again."

"Good," Lucia said, gripping the sides of the elf's nightgown. "Because I can't lose another one."

Elewiese grew confused. "Another what?"

"…Mother…"

And then it hit her. With the force of a dragon landing on her, Elewiese felt a buzz across her entire body, not unlike the euphoria of absorbing a dragon's soul. She had felt so lost for so long. Over the years leading up to her alchemical accident, through battling the Aldmeri Dominion from the shadows and becoming a werefox, to even discovering herself as Dragonborn, she had never found a solid place to plant her feet. Elewiese just drifted from place to place with no particular goal aside from righting wrongs and doing what she could to help. Becoming the Lady of the Elixirs had given her the first sense of purpose she'd ever felt in her life, but even that was impersonal. The mission of the Lady was to help others, not herself. She'd never once known what it meant to cherish and be cherished by something. That is until she met Lucia.

What began as just another act of charity, the lost girl whom she took in had not just taken up residency in her home, but in her heart as well. It had snuck up on Elewiese; the unmistakable and irrefutable feeling of love that she now held for the girl breathing slower and slower in her arms. Elewiese cried harder than she had all night, but not from sadness. Rather, the revelation of her true feelings for Lucia filled her with such happiness, the excess spilled from her eyes.

Elewiese cradled the head of the now sleeping Lucia and whispered softly. "I love you, my daughter."

* * *

 **Holy crap! That took forever. :'D Sorry about the dropping only two chapters again guys, but here's the bonus chapter I guess you would call it, albeit a week late. I just started writing and couldn't find a good place stop in the middle. I do plan on keeping to my schedule, dropping batches of chapters on the 9th, 29th, 19th, 9th, 29th, etc. don't ask me how that got started; it just did.**

 **Lore Notes -**

I…got nothing. I think? Idk, it's easy to gloss over stuff when I really get to writing. Literally, one time I accidentally substituted Thedas for Tamriel *facepalms*, so really if you guys have any questions or want to point out lore discrepancies for me in the reviews, I would love to hear from you guys and would be happy to make a note of it in the next chapter. Anyway, just keep it in mind. I'm out, loyal readers. Peace!


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